Coming Home
by Vampgirl994
Summary: 'For most of my life...I have belonged to the night; embedded in the shadows, always running...trying to run from away from my past; but I had to come back, I had no choice...I had to see him again' Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own any of the characters used in this story apart from the main character, Elizabeth.**

**A/N: **** Just to let you know, I've based this story on the TV series and the books. Oh, and I got the inspiration for this story from One Republic's song featuring Sara Barielles 'Come Home' **

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 1 **

'For most of my life...I have belonged to the night; embedded in the shadows, always running...trying to run from away from my past; but I had to come back, I had no choice...I had to see him again'

...

**Elizabeth's POV**

_April 28__th__ 1847._

"_Found you!" I said triumphantly; I stepped away for my sister to reveal herself from behind the tree._

"_Well done, Elizabeth; you seem to be getting a lot better at this" She complimented._

"_Well Katherine, I have learned from the best" I smiled._

"_And you will keep learning until you become the master"_

"_Come on, Katherine; it is only hide and seek"_

"_I know...but it is my job as your big sister to teach you everything until you become the expert" Katherine placed her hand on my shoulder._

"_Your dedication to me is inspiring" I complimented as we walked back to our house; Katherine sighed._

"_You make it all sound so easy"_

"_Is it not?" I asked confused._

"_Lesson number one, Elizabeth; nothing in life is easy...not even being your big sister"_

"_Surely some of it must be tolerable..." I frowned._

"_Listen to you, you sound like mother...using your extensive vocabulary; you're only an eight year old, Elizabeth...live like one"_

"_It is not my fault I spend most of my time in the library" I pouted; Katherine giggled._

"_Well, mother did always say an educated mind is a happy mind"_

"_Where is mother?" I said, aimlessly looking around for her._

"_She is speaking to one of her acquaintances...Giuseppe Salvatore"_

"_Oh?"_

"_She and Giuseppe have been great friends since before you were born...they've become even closer since father died"_

"_She's not hoping to replace father, is she?" I asked worriedly._

"_Of course not, Elizabeth; She loved father very dearly...she would sooner die, if she had the chance to do such a thing" Katherine said seriously._

"_Please Katherine...do not talk like that" I warned her lightly; I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes._

"_I'm sorry, Elizabeth; I did not mean to startle you" Katherine hung her head slightly; I tried to blink away the tears as I saw mother walking out of the house with a male figure, who I knew by now was Giuseppe Salvatore._

"_Come on, Elizabeth; why don't we play another game inside? We'll even go to the library if you want" Katherine offered, smiling; whereas I could only smile back as a response. _

"_Don't forget, your family will always have a place at my home and my heart" I heard Giuseppe say to mother before gently kissing her right hand._

"_Thank you, Giuseppe; as are you with myself and my family" mother said gratefully. _

"_Hello, mother" Katherine spoke politely._

"_Oh, my dear Katherine...Elizabeth, how are you both?" mother smiled brightly._

"_We are very well, mother; we were playing hide and seek" I responded pleasantly._

"_Wonderful. Oh, Giuseppe, have you met my daughters, Katherine and Elizabeth?" Mother asked her friend._

"_My, oh my, how you both have grown" Giuseppe said, completely astounded. He then shook his head lightly as if he had just been released from some sort of spell. Giuseppe turned to my mother. _

"_Oh, my; I must get going...my boys will be wondering where I am"_

"_Thank you for coming Giuseppe; it was wonderful to see you again" Mother smiled which Giuseppe returned before finally leaving the three of us._

"_Mother? I don't mean to impose but...is there a reason in which Mr Salvatore visited today?" Katherine asked, frowning._

"_Can't a friend visit another friend?" Mother asked innocently._

"_Of course; but Mr Salvatore only visited you once every couple of months...surely there was a reason for such an early visit"_

"_Indeed there is, my sweet Katherine; Mr Salvatore had only just recently lost his wife" I gasped internally with shock._

"_How so?" I asked concerned._

"_His wife was with child..." mother soon paused but found the strength to speak again. "After giving birth to her son, Stefan...she'd passed away; Giuseppe had visited because he needed a friend to talk to" mother tried to fight back the tears._

"_Oh, mother; I am so sorry...I shouldn't have pressured you" Katherine apologized._

"_All is forgiven ...now why don't we go inside? It starting to get cold" Mother wrapped her arms around the both of us and walked us inside._

_..._

The Present Day

I watched closely as the ghostly figures of my past walked into the soiled ruins of my old home; it used to be so full of life and great prosperity...now it was reduced to nothing. A small tear fell from my eye; it cascaded down my face as the figures of my mother and sister faded away. I had tried for so many years to run away from the past that consumes my every being; but somehow I ended up back here...the place where it all began.

Mystic Falls.

A small part of me is contemplating why I am here in the first place...that I shouldn't be here, that I should still be running...running away and never looking back. But there's that other part that has just given up completely; that part just doesn't want to run anymore...it's tired of trying to run from something that is just never going to go away...I could run for miles, kilometres...I could run for decades, centuries, millenniums...it will still be there, waiting to catch up with me. It's like what they say 'if you can't beat them, join them'. I guess that's the only way to go, I suppose.

"Hello?" I heard a sweet voice call; I turned around to see an innocent, elderly woman standing in front of me with a confused look on her face. I flashed a bright smile.

"Oh, hello...err, may I ask...why are you alone in the woods?" I asked politely, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I might ask you the same question dear..." She smiled, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh...well, I was just looking at these...err...ruins; they're so fascinating, don't you think?"

"I agree...that was once a house, it used to belong to a family who lived here over a century ago...the Peirce family" The woman slowly tilted her head to the side, looking at the ruins.

"So I've heard..." I turned my head to look at the ruins; sadness spread through me...I turned away immediately.

"I'm sorry dear...what is your name?" She asked me.

"Elizabeth" I responded clearly with a small smile. "And you are...?"

"I'm Mrs Flowers" I stepped forward to shake her hand when I noticed she was carrying a small basket, which was filled with small, delicate, lilac plants; I edged away slowly without trying to give anything away.

"Mrs Flowers?" I asked her slowly.

"Yes dear?" She responded innocently.

"What are those?" I asked her, eying the contents of the basket as if it was about to jump out at me.

"Oh...these? They are a special kind of flower called vervain...they only grow here once in a blue moon; I was lucky to find them this morning"

"Very lucky" I nodded; my breathing slow. She knew, she knew about vampires. I'd best stay clear of her in the future.

"I'm sorry dear; are they bothering you?" Mrs Flowers must have sensed my discomfort; I took a long deep breath.

"No, of course not Mrs Flowers; it's just shocked me that you were able to find a plant like that"

"You know about them?" She frowned.

"I just know my history" I said simply.

"I'm guessing you're local, then?" She guessed with a smile.

"I am" I nodded. "I've just moved back"

"With family?"

"No. Fortunately, I'm alone"

"Oh?"

"I just like to get away from things" I replied simply.

"Well, dear; it was wonderful meeting you...but unfortunately I'd best get going" Mrs Flowers began to turn away, but I walked so I stood in front of her.

"Do you have a residence nearby? Are you safe getting there?" I asked concerned.

"Yes dear, I'm fine; no grizzlies will get me...you can be sure of that" She giggled; I smiled weakly.

"What about you? Do you have a home to go to?" She asked me; I nodded.

"Well, you'd best get going...otherwise you're going to miss school" Mrs Flowers turned away and walked slowly, carrying her little basket in the opposite direction.

"It was nice meeting you" I called after her.

"Same here, dear" She called back.

I thought coming back to Mystic Falls would have been a good thing; just to get some peace and quiet...but somehow I'm thinking coming home wasn't such a good idea, especially if the residents know about vampires; Seeing Mrs Flowers has opened my eyes, I mustn't be the only one who's returned to Mystic Falls...I'll have to lie low for a while, just until I can find out who these 'visitors' are; nobody is going to destroy this town; this is my home...and I'm going to protect it all costs.

Even if it means I'll see him again...

**Stefan's POV**

I walked in the front room to notice Damon looking through a large cardboard box; every few seconds he'd search then take things out. He must have been searching for something important, I concluded; otherwise he wouldn't have made the effort to actually look.

"What are you looking for?" I asked him, folding my arms.

"Something that is none of your business" Damon responded, still searching through the box; he took out some old, dusty book out of the box. He stared at it before putting it back in.

"Well it is my business, Damon... considering that that box was in my room instead of yours"

"And what _you're_ doing with it little brother, I don't know..."

"How come?"

"Because it's supposed to be mine...besides, don't you have school?"

"I do...but I'd rather find out what you're up to first" Damon stopped looking in the box and began searching in the desk drawers at the far end of the room; I soon followed him.

"If you must know...I'm looking for a box" Damon picked up a tiny box from one of the drawers; he looked at it with a frown before putting it back in its original place.

"There are lots of boxes around here to satisfy you, Damon...just pick one" I said, shrugging my shoulders; I was eager to get away from him, I didn't want to know what he had planned...I knew I would be involved somehow.

"It's not just any box, Stefan...for your information it has sentimental value"

"Sentimental value?" I asked confusedly. "Since when has anything had sentimental value, unless you're willing to use it in one of your diabolical plans?"

"Yes, Stefan...because that's how I kill time by looking through boxes and boxes of worthless antique junk to discover it might actually mean something to me" Damon said sarcastically; I rolled my eyes.

"Well, what does it look like?" I asked.

"It's a box..." Damon began.

"Yes, I get that... could you be a bit more specific, please?" I interrupted; Damon sighed in frustration.

"It's a box with a bird engraved on the side and it has a special lock, which I have the key for" Damon said irritably as he began to root faster through the contents of the drawers.

"What's it for?"

"Must I give you the details?"

"Yes...if you want me to go away"

"Oh please spare me the torment, Stefan" Damon said sarcastically with a small laugh.

"Come on, Damon" I told him impatiently.

"Okay...if you must know; it's a memory box...father gave it to me way before you were born and as you can see... I've been searching high and low for it"

"Why would you keep a memory box?"

"Because...little brother; it contains every memory I thought, _back then_, was important enough to hold on to...isn't that the main reason why people have memory boxes in the first place?"

"Well Damon, I'd love to help you with your endless search...but I have a school to get to" Finally I was getting away from him; I knew by now that the box he was searching for couldn't have had anything to do with something evil...they were just innocent childhood memories; unless Damon was a self-serving psychopath as a child...but the possibility was highly unlikely. I was just about to leave the room when I heard the front door open and then eventually close.

"Good morning, Mrs Flowers" I called to her.

"Oh...Stefan dear; I thought you'd be at school by now"

"Well, I was just on my way...err, I was wondering if you could help Damon with something?"

"Oh?"

"Damon is looking for a box...a special box; it has a...err, bird engraved on it with a lock on the front"

"Is Damon up to his old tricks again?" She smiled.

"Not any time soon, Mrs Flowers" Damon called to her with a mischievous smile.

"Will you help?" I asked.

"Of course, dear; I'll start looking in the attic" Mrs. Flowers turned to carry on walking but she stopped.

"Oh, which reminds me; I have some news for you boys"

"What news?" I asked; Damon eventually gave up his search and came to walk by my side.

"There's another vampire in town"

"Another vampire?" Damon asked with a frown.

"I saw her this morning...she was by the old Pierce mansion"

"How did you know she was a vampire?" I asked.

"I spoke to her; I thought she was a poor soul that was just lost in the woods, but she saw I had vervain and she began to panic"

"Wait...if you spoke with her, did she say what she wanted? Did she come alone?" Damon asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, she came alone...but she never said what she wanted"

"Did she say what her name was?" I asked her.

"Elizabeth" She said simply. From the corner of my eye, I could see Damon tense up; there was something about that name that seemed to cause Damon great discomfort. I was about to ask what was wrong with him, but he soon calmed down.

"You said she was visiting the ruins of the Pierce Mansion?" Damon asked.

"Yes"

"She must be a descendant then, if she just _happened_ to be looking at the ruins"

"But she's a vampire, Damon; She could be one of the actual family members" I said seriously; Damon frowned.

"What? A member of an old family who's come back to get revenge on the town? Been there, done that" Damon turned around and continued with his search again; I rolled my eyes before turning back towards Mrs Flowers.

"Thank you for telling us, Mrs Flowers; Damon, I'm leaving...I have to tell Elena, she's going to want to know about this"

"Sure...I mean, it's not like she's already worried enough about the protection of the town...but hey, what would I know? You go, Stefan; I'm sure all will be fine" Damon smiled mischievously; I sighed deeply. Damon was right; Elena was already panicking about the protection of the town and its citizens...telling her about the vampire would only worry her even more. But from what Mrs Flowers had said, the vampire didn't seem to be doing much at the moment...I'd even go as far as to say that this new visitor was practically harmless; but that would be exaggerating the truth.

No vampire is harmless...even me; but I have no choice...I have to tell her.

I grabbed my school bag, leaving Damon still in pursuit of his box; I opened the door before eventually closing it, ready to leave for school.

**END OF CHAPTER!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 2 **

**Elizabeth's POV**

I depressively opened the cardboard box named '_old junk'. _Why I felt the need to open this box, I didn't know; I was just feeling sentimental enough to look through old things that I hadn't been bothered to look at for over a century. I knew what I was expected to find when I blew away the excess dust. Junk; well, that was the only word for it really, but that was why it was placed there in the first place. As I began to slowly take out little boxes, along with assorted knickknacks, I noticed a medium sized book covered in dust at the bottom of the cardboard box. I placed the other objects down and grabbed the book, handling it with great care. After blowing away, and choking on, the piles of dust on top of the book, I saw it was a royal blue hardback with a special, yet broken lock embedded on the side and inscribed on the bottom corner was:

_Elizabeth 1847._

I smiled, gently stroking the front of the book and my inscribed name; every moment from my childhood, good and bad, had been captured in this little book...my special little diary. I was hesitant and careful when opening the book; I knew what its contents were...I was the one who wrote it. But I was scared to reveal the past to myself again...I'd already been trying to get away. I opened the book anyway; at least I'd be able to shut the book if there was anything I didn't like. I flicked carefully through the old, slightly torn pages...until I stopped at a page that seemed to catch my eye.

_June 6__th__ 1847_

_Dear Diary,_

_I am worried; my dear sister Katherine has not returned home and I fear for her safety. She was meant to be out with friends and acquaintances, yet she still hasn't come home. Mother said that Katherine is probably having a good time and that she is old enough to stay out on her own. I think not..._

I frowned at the page, stroking the past inscription with a gentle touch. This was how it all started; the night Katherine never returned home. I quickly turned through the pages...

_June 9__th__ 1847_

_Dear Diary,_

_Its day three since I last saw my sister; my mother is frightfully worrying about her and I am terrified to think the inevitable; but it is obvious that something has happened to my sister, there's no point in denying it. Nothing so far has been done to try and find Katherine, but I have a mind to go and look myself..._

I immediately closed the book; I didn't want those images from my past to come back into my mind...I knew I'd already suffered enough.

**Elena's POV**

_Dear Diary,_

_Peace and tranquillity has come at last to the town of Mystic Falls; it's finally over. No more vampires, no more werewolves...just the feeble drama of being a teenager in the aim of trying to grow up. I and the rest of the town can finally relax; we are all safe at last. Now we can all go back to the normal things that make us such a prosperous town and hopefully, all of this will persevere..._

_Knock, Knock_

"I'll get it" I called after closing my diary and headed towards the door. It was after opening the door, that I saw him; dazzling emerald eyes, tousled brunette hair and a heart-warming smile. To summarize, he was a complete angel.

"Hello, Elena; may I come inside?" Stefan asked me graciously.

"Of course, come in" I responded, stepping aside for him to enter gracefully through the doorway.

"Listen; is there somewhere we could talk?" He asked me seriously.

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked him nervously.

"That's kind of what I need to talk to you about"

"Err, yeah we can talk in the kitchen" I said leading him across the hallway.

"Jenna and Jeremy are upstairs, so we're alone for now"

"Elena...I'm so sorry for what I've got to tell you"

"Why, what is it?"

"Damon didn't want me to tell you this...but I felt you had the right to know"

"What is it, Stefan? Please...just tell me" I begged him.

"I know you thought this was all over...but..." Now, I had understood.

"Oh god...there's another vampire isn't there?" Stefan nodded grimly.

"I'm sorry, Elena"

"No, Stefan...don't be; It's not your fault...I'm glad you told me" I told him calmly.

"Look, I saw how happy you were, knowing all the vampires had gone and that the town was safe again..."

"Stefan, it's okay; we've fought them once before...we're just going to have to do it again, that's all"

"So far, I don't think we'll have to just yet"

"Why?"

"Mrs Flowers saw them in the woods and she spoke with her; she seemed pretty harmless as Mrs Flowers was concerned"

"Where in the woods was she?" I asked.

"She was by the old Pierce Mansion"

"Pierce? You mean, as in..." I dared not say her name; Stefan would already know who I was talking about.

"Yes; Pierce as in Katherine" I was surprised at how Stefan seemed so comfortable with saying her name.

"Wait; if Mrs Flowers spoke with her...did she get a name?" Stefan nodded.

"She said her name was Elizabeth"

"Elizabeth..." I said as if I was trying to remember the name from my past.

"From what we've gathered...she seems pretty harmless, but we're going to keep an eye on her"

"Wait...we? As in...Damon too?" Stefan nodded.

"What does he make of it?"

"He thinks she's another vampire who wants to get revenge on the town"

"Haven't there been enough of those?"

"Well, Damon thinks she's another one...meaning another vampire hunt"

"He won't kill her, will he? What if she is harmless?" I asked, starting to panic.

"Elena, I won't let it get that far...I promise" Stefan pulled me into a close embrace.

"Okay" I nodded, finally calming down.

"Damon's been too preoccupied to take notice anyway"

"Why? What's he been doing?"

"Searching for a box; he said it was something father gave to him when he was a child and now he's looking for it"

"Probably to use in one of his schemes, no doubt" I murmured; Stefan laughed under his breath.

"Well like I said, Elizabeth seems harmless for now, so we don't have to worry as much right now"

...

**Elizabeth's POV**

Numerous faces were smiling and laughing as I walked towards the front entrance; the entire school was so full of life...it made me think of the possibilities of me actually fitting into this school. It seemed idealistic at the time; but seeing so many happy, carefree faces opened up a whole lot of opportunities for me...it would take me a while but I knew I was sure to fit in. As I entered the building, I could hear the various sounds of computer keyboards being typed upon and telephones ringing until they were answered; I was guessing this was the reception. When I turned to my left, I could see the front desk and the small person who sat behind it, typing away at her computer; when I stood in front of her, I waited patiently until she took a sideways glance before eventually tending to me.

"May I help you, dear?" The woman asked me.

"Yes. I'm a new student, here; you may have heard of me" I said clearly.

"What's your name?" She asked, turning to her computer.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth...Pierce" After a vast amount of typing, the woman turned to me again.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth; you don't seem to be on here"

"Could you check again, please?" I asked desperately; the woman obeyed and stared at the computer screen for a short while.

"No...I'm sorry; you don't seem to be registered in the school at all" That was it, I knew I'd been caught out; I began to stare deep into her eyes; her eyes were locked at the sight of mine...I knew I had her. I was now ready to compel her.

"Please, could you look again? I'm sure you'll find everything there" I told her; I swiftly looked away for the woman to regain her state of mind. The dazed look in her face had disappeared, everything was as it should have been; the woman looked at the computer screen again.

"Oh...I'm sorry, Elizabeth; you _are _on here after all" I smiled mischievously to myself; I've always loved how compulsion works on humans...forcing them to do what you want; there were just so many advantages to it all.

"Here's your timetable, Elizabeth...and here... is a slip that you must get your teachers to sign before you hand it back in at the end of the day" The woman said, handing me various pieces of paper; maybe I should have just left when she said I weren't registered.

"Thank you, Miss...Err?"

"Miss Graham, dear"

I smiled politely before turning away and exiting through the door in the far corner.

**Elena's POV**

"School sure seems busy today" I noted as I opened up my locker.

"Today must be tacos for lunch" Bonnie guessed as she looked at the various students push past each other.

"Hmm, must be" I murmured.

"What's up with you? You seem a little off. I thought you'd be glad now that the town's safe again"

"I would be if it was..." I sulked.

"You mean it's not?" Bonnie asked me, surprised.

"Nope; Stefan told me this morning...apparently there's another vampire in town"

"And?"

"And nothing; from what Stefan knows, she seems harmless"

"She?"

"Yes, 'she'; her name's Elizabeth" I swiftly took my books out of my locker.

"Oh, so this thing has a name now?"

"Bonnie, don't be like that; for all we know she's harmless...we don't have to worry about it yet"

"No vampire is harmless, Elena"

"Not even Stefan?"

"I'm sorry to say Elena; but... yes, not even Stefan" I rolled my eyes and slammed my locker door shut. Both Bonnie and I jumped slightly when we saw that another girl was standing in front of us. She had straight brunette hair and wore a black leather jacket, a red t-shirt and black jeans to match; and to top it all off, black high-heeled boots. The girl had her head down, looking confusedly at the piece of paper in her hand.

"Excuse me...do you know where class 5B is?" She asked, lifting her head to meet both of our faces; When she did so, her eyes widened in shock as she stared at me; fear was plastered all over her face as she continued to examine mine. There were moments when she would frown slightly and her eyebrows would rise, but then fear would soon take over her face once again and she would still continue to stare. There was something almost obsessive about it.

**Elizabeth's POV**

No. It couldn't have been. I hadn't seen that face for over so many years; I thought I'd seen the last of it. But no; there she was, standing face to face with me after all these years. I wanted to run, run and hide in the hope that she would never find me...but all I could do was stare into those eyes and gaze at those familiar features. I just hoped it was a dream; maybe this was something telling me that it _was_ bad to start a new life here, back in Mystic Falls. But there were so many questions I wanted to ask her...so many questions left unanswered; why did she go missing? What really _did_ happen all those years ago when I just was eight years old? All these questions haunting my mind for so many years; and yet, I could now somehow have them answered.

_Flashback_

_June 12__th__ 1847_

_I whimpered as I felt the cold air creep up my spine; I tried to tuck myself in, further into my blanket...but it was useless, it was too cold for me to even feel the slightest bit of warmth. The only thing I had on my mind was Katherine; she'd been missing for almost a week now and I definitely feared the worst. Mother had been too struck with worry to actually go out and search for her; many had offered to help and still they could not find her. I wondered whether I'd ever see my sister again..._

_Elizabeth...Help me...Please, help me._

_I sat up in shock when I heard that ghostly whisper; the voice itself sounded vaguely familiar and I was now contemplating whether it was my conscience. Thankfully I was wrong, the whispers gradually began to disappear...fading deeply into the night; I could finally relax at last. The thoughts of a peaceful sleep entered my mind as I tried to rest my body once again; the numbness which I now felt, seemed to soothe me into a more tranquil slumber. My eyes eventually and gradually started to close..._

_Elizabeth...please, help me. _

_The voice had come on louder now, much louder than my conscience; I was starting to think that maybe I wasn't actually alone. I anxiously sat back up in my bed and grabbed the candle on the bedside cabinet and kept it close. My whole body started to shiver in fear..._

"_Who's there?" I asked aloud; I hoped there wouldn't have been an answer to that...I just wanted to get through this bitter night and hopefully start searching for my sister in the morning; but I knew I wouldn't have had to search far..._

"_Please...Elizabeth, help me" I gasped in shock when Katherine's face appeared in front of me...pasty, weak...every bit of life that had been captured in her face...drained; there was nothing left but what looked like a corpse._

"_K-Katherine?" I asked. "Where have you been? Mother's been worried sick"_

"_Help me, Elizabeth" She begged._

"_O-of course, I'll help you; but where were you, Katherine?"_

"_Help me" Katherine continued to beg; I could see so much desperation in her face._

"_Alright, alright...but first I have to take you to mother; she'll want to know you're safe" Candle in my hand, I pulled my blanket away from me as I climbed out of the bed; but Katherine pushed me back into my original position, causing the candle to drop instantly. The sound of the candle circling the floor filled the silence between us, until it finally came to a stop. I stared at Katherine with shock in my eyes._

"_Katherine, what's wrong with you? We have to tell mother!" I spoke firmly._

"_I'm... so. Cold" She spoke desperately._

"_I'll get you warm, Katherine; but we have to speak to mother first"_

"_No!" Katherine growled._

"_What is wrong with you?"_

"_I can't control it, Elizabeth" She whispered worriedly._

"_Control what?"_

"_I can't...I can't..."_

"_What, Katherine? Please...tell me" I begged her._

"_I'm just so...hungry"_

"_Oh...is that all? I thought something was wrong with you" Katherine only responded with heavy breathing; it was actually starting to scare me._

"_No! I can't..." She told herself, swiftly turning away from me._

"_What? Katherine, what's wrong with you? Why won't you look at me?" I smoothly slid off of my bed, to walk and stand behind her._

"_Go away, Elizabeth; I don't want to hurt you" Katherine murmured angrily._

"_What? Why would you want to hurt me? I am your sister" I said unhappily._

"_Please. Go away...or you'll regret it"_

"_No" I told her "I want to know what is wrong with you"_

"_You really want to know what's wrong with me?"_

"_Yes. Please, Katherine...don't shut yourself away from me"_

"_Don't say I didn't warn you" Katherine slowly and hesitantly turned to face me...but I wasn't sure it was Katherine. It was some sort of...I couldn't think of the word; her eyes had turned crimson red and she now somehow had...fangs? No, she couldn't be... It was impossible for Katherine to be-be a...vampire? I anxiously stepped back, step by step, as Katherine edged tensely towards me._

"_What's happened to you?" I whispered in shock as I stared deep into her dark eyes; Katherine just seemed to smile._

"_I've been given a gift, Elizabeth; disadvantages aside...it's a miracle"_

"_There's nothing miraculous about what you are" Katherine shook her head in shame, but her smile still remained._

"_Elizabeth...you have no idea of the plans I have for us; you, me...and mother"_

"_You leave her alone!"_

"_Who's going to stop me, Elizabeth? You? You're just a human...well, for now" My eyes now, never left my bedroom door; I was dying to escape and wake up mother. But there was no way of escaping._

"_Mother! Mother!" I bellowed, pushing past Katherine and heading for the door; once I left, I headed straight for my mother's room...to wake her up and hopefully escape Katherine. Her door was already open by the time I arrived, a great advantage; from the doorway, I could see her, sleeping in a peaceful slumber...it was a shame I had to ruin it._

"_Mother! Mother! Wake up, we have to leave!" I shouted, shaking her tired body; Mother didn't stir...not once. I shook her vigorously. _

"_Mother! Please! Wake up!" She had to wake up now...there was no way that she couldn't; she'd of had to be dead...not...to..._

"_Mother?" I began to cry; I hesitantly turned her body, so that I could see her face...but I only managed to do it half way... a dark liquid covered most of her neck, a lot of it ran gradually, further and further down her neck, till it came to rest on her shoulder._

"_I came to mother first" I heard Katherine's voice behind me; tears cascaded down my face, but my sight never left mother. I knew Katherine would eventually get to me, but I had decided to listen to her words...they wouldn't mean anything to me now._

"_It was like you said...I had to show mother I was safe and sound"_

"_Why did you do it, Katherine? Mother was innocent!"_

"_I already told you, I was hungry...I'm eternally hungry; the innocent are unavoidable"_

"_Then kill me!" I turned around to stand in front of her, my posture firm and strong._

"_No. I hadn't realised how hungry I was...I didn't know I would end up killing mother; you are all I have, Elizabeth...please, let me turn you"_

"_No! Stay away from me! I don't want to endure an eternity of hell with you because of what you've become!" My eyes were now focused on the door._

"_Go ahead, run; there's nowhere you can run to, Elizabeth; because I will find you...I will hunt you down and you will become what I am...I am not spending an eternity on my own"_

_I could have stayed, to let her take me there and then...to become what she was; instead I ran, faster than I had before. I had to escape her...but then I realised I could never do that; She would find me and then she would get what she wants. There was nothing I could do; I only had the capability to run and get away. As I flung open the front door of the house, I looked around at my surroundings; there was nothing but trees and the moon, shining its silvery light down upon them. There was a strong hope running through my mind that if I ran through those trees, Katherine would lose me; it was the only good plan I had right now, considering the cold night ate through my nightgown and bit at my tender skin, causing me to shake and shiver. But Katherine would not be far behind me..._

"_I'm sorry, Mother" I whispered aloud, looking back at the house._

_So that's what I did. I fled through the woods...disappearing into the night._

**End of Chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Coming Home **

**Chapter 3 **

**Elizabeth's POV**

"Err...Is there anything wrong?" I heard her say to me; I immediately snapped out of it...whatever it was that I was in.

"Oh...I'm sorry; it's just, you resemble someone I used to know" I apologized.

"It's fine" the girl accepted. "I actually get that quite a lot; you won't believe the times I've heard that before"

"I didn't unease you or anything?"

"Well you did...but not for long; oh god, I sound so weird don't I?" She grimaced.

"Not as much as I probably was" I laughed; something about this conversation seemed nice, it even made coming to this school bearable.

"I'm Elena" She smiled. "And this is Bonnie" Elena pointed to her friend who stood silently beside her.

"Elena. What a...pretty name" I smiled at her; I then looked at her friend. "Bonnie... pretty name also"

"You speak posh for a seventeen year old" Bonnie commented.

"I'm sixteen actually; but I come from an educated family, both my mother and father went to Harvard" I lied.

"Err...what did you say your name was?" Elena asked me.

"I didn't. My name's Elizabeth" The second I mentioned my name, I noticed that Elena's eyes had widened slightly with shock.

"You're Elizabeth?" She asked.

"You know about me?"

"It's a small town; a new person in town is like celebrity gossip...everyone knows about it"

"Glad to know I've received such attention" I spoke sarcastically.

"So, you were asking us something?" Bonnie asked.

"Err...yes; I wanted to know where..."

"Stefan!" Elena called, looking from behind me. I looked from the corner of my eye to see a boy; dishevelled hair, emerald eyes and a dazzling smile that lit up the entire corridor...but there was something in his face that seemed almost recognizable; I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Hello Elena...Bonnie; who's your friend?"

"Hello, I'm Elizabeth" I spoke politely, shaking Stefan's hand.

"You're Elizabeth Pierce?" He asked me.

"Yes; I'm guessing you've heard about me moving back into town"

"Moving back? You didn't say you moved back" Elena frowned.

"Well, I thought it was unnecessary to let people know about it"

"What made you leave?" Bonnie asked.

"So...your name's _Stefan_?" I turned to him, ignoring Bonnie completely.

"Yes; Stefan Salvatore"

"S-Salvatore?" I asked nervously.

"Yes; one of the founding families of Mystic Falls"

"I know; I was just surprised that the Salvatore's were still situated here"

"Well not so much now; I live at the old Salvatore boarding house"

"Any family?" I dared to ask.

"None that I talk to"

"Oh...well that's unfortunate; listen we best be getting to class any minute...do you know where 5B is?" I asked Elena.

"Actually I'm heading there next" Stefan smiled. "I could walk you down if you'd like"

"Err...thank you...that would be lovely"

...

"Stefan, may I stop at the girl's restroom before we head to class?"

"Yeah, it's just over there; I'll wait out here for you"

After Stefan pointed out the direction, I swiftly headed towards the door. It was good to get away, even if the various conversations I had made me feel accepted, and I was sure it made Stefan feel the same way too. Yes, he was a vampire; I could smell him out the second Elena had called him over. Now, there was only one problem; Stefan, by now, would know that I was a vampire; A new vampire in the quiet town of Mystic Falls would definitely be a bad thing according to him. I knew what had happened back in 1864, I'd kept checks on the town since I'd left years ago. I'd contemplated the consequences of coming back to my town, especially after it being so aware of vampires; but then I thought, it's been so long since those incidents have happened, maybe it's all died down. Seeing Mrs Flowers opened my eyes to think well, maybe there could be the certain few that still know...but I'd just have to lie low; Stefan Salvatore seems to have coped with it all quite well, considering whether he's stayed in Mystic Falls that long. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from him.

I lifted my head slightly to look in the large mirror, which rested on the wall in front of me; everything was in order. My hair remained tidy and straight, my makeup, neat and unnoticeable. All perfect. I then picked up my bag and books and headed towards the door...but confusingly, Stefan had entered and stopped me in my tracks.

"Stefan? What are you doing in here? I thought this was the girl's restroom"

"What are you doing here in Mystic Falls?" He glared at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you here in Mystic Falls?"

"I'm sorry, I don't follow you" I spoke innocently.

"I know what you are, Elizabeth; what are you doing here in Mystic Falls?"

"Oh really, well I could ask you the same thing"

"What are you doing here?"

"You first" I slowly edged towards Stefan, hopefully to intimidate him.

"I believe the saying is 'ladies first'" I sighed deeply; he had me there.

"Fine. I came here to try and live a normal life"

"There's nothing normal about the way we live"

"You can talk! Why did _you_ come here? To live a normal life with another human?"

"Isn't that why you're here?"

"Listen, I have been running since 1847; I just want it to end, that's why I came here"

"Running from what, exactly?"

"Must I spare you the details? All you need to know is that I've come back to try to live a normal life"

"So you're not here to destroy the town because you want to get revenge?"

"Haven't you heard a single word I've said? I want to live a normal life! Nothing else!"

"Vampires who want to live a normal life can be quite deceptive, Elizabeth"

"Oh really? Who was here to question and interview you, when you came here?" Stefan was silent.

"Thought so" I murmured.

"Just know...you'll have close eyes on you whilst you're here" Stefan informed firmly.

"Oh, will I? You and what other eyes? Your brother's?" I scoffed; I hadn't realised the path my voice had now taken.

"What do you know about Damon?" He asked me anxiously as I pushed past him to walk out of the room; there was a slight pause before I stopped at the door.

"Enough" I replied simply.

Then I walked out.

**Damon's POV**

After hours and hours of searching I'd finally found it; the centre of my childhood memories. I stared intently at the box, stroking its rusted edges; its exotic blue colour could still be seen underneath a century and a half of dust and rust. The lock on the front looked damaged, ruined somehow; but I knew its secrets were safely locked inside, just as much as they had been a century and a half ago. I twiddled the key between my fingers; something puzzled me about the fact that I was so desperate to find this box and delve into its contents. That wasn't me; it didn't seem like me at all; at least not any more. But recently, I have somehow felt the urge to gaze into the dark remnants of my past; gazing...but not really looking. Something that was said about the new vampire seemed to spring great anticipation on finding this box; never thought it could...but it got me to eventually find it.

Elizabeth.

That name echoed in my mind constantly; repeating over and over. There was something familiar about that name; it almost sounded...special? No, that couldn't have been it; nothing was special to me. There was nothing that seemed even the slightest bit special to me...not anymore. After I opened the box, I hesitantly lifted its lid...revealing its contents. I frowned as I stared at the old, dusty pieces of parchment; nothing but rubbish. From the corner of my eye, I spotted something black sticking out beneath all of the numerous sheets of paper; I grabbed it and stared at it with little anticipation. It was a small black diary and inscribed at the bottom right corner was: _Damon. S. 1847 _

I flicked carefully through the old, slightly smelly pages, not believing that I actually kept one of these...until I stopped at a page that caught my attention.

_June 13th 1847_

_Dear Diary,_

_Last night I heard a frantic knock at the door; I woke up and went to investigate. Father had already beat me to it and answered the door himself; I however remained in the shadows, waiting for him to open the front door. I wondered who would be knocking at our house, especially at that time of the night and considering that it was raining...it would have had to be an emergency for someone to take the time to actually come over and disturb our slumber. When father opened the door, I heard a frantic voice, gasping and desperate for breath. When I looked to see who it was...I'd begun to gasp for breath myself. She was beautiful; wet brunette hair, delicate features and she wore a ripped nightgown. She'd cried to my father, begging her to let her in; she said that there was a monster...a demon, which chased her through the woods and she needed a place to stay. My father, being a kind gentleman, allowed her access._

_Now we have a guest living at Salvatore Manor; I suppose I should introduce myself to her, considering she will be staying with us for a while. But I have to check on my baby brother first; since mother died, father has been expecting me to offer a helping hand when it's time to feed him and change him. Father wished he could hire a nanny to look after my brother, but he is afraid to even go near another woman, especially because of my mother._

_I guess I should go now; my brother's crying...he'll soon wake up father if he doesn't calm down._

_Goodbye for now._

I turned to the next few pages; everything now seemed flow back into my mind.

-_Flashback-_

"_Damon?"_

"_Yes Father?"_

"_We have a guest in the living room; she came by here last night and I want you to look after her...make her feel welcome"_

"_Father, I thought no women were allowed in our home since mother died"_

"_I know, but she came to us in dire need of our help; she is the daughter of my great friend...MaryAnn Pierce"_

"_But why did she come here, Father?"_

"_She never did say why...but I promised her mother that her family will always have a place here; now go, see to her...I have other arrangements at hand"_

"_Yes Father" I obeyed. Father turned to walk away as I walked into the living room; nobody seemed to be there...everything seemed to be in order. But that was until I saw her, sitting on the windowsill- in her torn nightgown- staring worriedly at the outside world... shaking like a Chihuahua. _

"_She is out there" She whispered frantically, mostly to herself. "Waiting for me"_

"_Who is out there?" I dared to ask._

"_My sister" She said, turning to me. "And she will not stop until she has me"_

"_You're safe here" I comforted her. "Your sister will not get to you"_

"_Where am I, anyway?" She asked forcefully._

"_You are at Salvatore Manor"_

"_Salvatore? Giuseppe Salvatore?"_

"_Yes...my father; he let you in last night...how do you know him?"_

"_He was a friend of my mother's...it wasn't long since I saw him last"_

"_Why did you come here last night?"_

"_Long story short, I was running...running from her...my sister"_

"_Does your mother know you are here?"_

"_I would imagine so...if she was alive"_

"_Alive?" I gulped._

"_My sister killed her...now she wants me; that is why I ran"_

"_What is your name?" I asked her immediately._

"_You ask a lot of questions"_

"_Because I must know; my father is completely worried as to why you're here and why you will not tell him"_

"_My name is Elizabeth...if you '_must know'_" She smiled, lifting herself from her seated position on the windowsill to stand in front me. She was incredibly beautiful, even up-close. She had alluring brown eyes that now glistened with desperation._

"_Promise me you won't tell your father" Elizabeth begged._

"_Why not? My father needs to know"_

"_Because if he knew...he would throw me out immediately; and I have nowhere to go...please promise me...?" _

"_My name is Damon" I clarified._

"_Please promise me, Damon; promise me you will not say _anything_ to your father"_

"_...I promise"_

**Elizabeth's POV**

I never thought it would be true...but it was. He was still here; especially after all of these years. I may have known about what had happened back in 1864; what the Founding families had done to all the vampires...but I also knew what Katherine had done. Yes, she had finally found out where I was when I was eight years old, staying at the Salvatore house; I'd left before she got there...leaving Damon and his two year old little brother unprotected...which meant Katherine could have them for the taking. From what I heard, she hadn't toyed with them until 1864...so Stefan must have been at least seventeen when she had her way with him... all of which being my fault. Stefan however had been true to his word; I did have eyes on me...mostly his anyway. I can't remember a single second in which he didn't have his eyes on me; I could definitely tell that I wasn't worthy of his trust. If he knew who I was back in 1847, maybe now things would have been different; I mean, it's thanks to me anyway that he's still here today...even if I wasn't there.

**Elena's POV**

"Stefan, I think you've stared at Elizabeth enough today" I told him.

"Ooh, somebody's jealous!" Caroline teased.

"It's not like that, Caroline"

"To be honest, I'm not surprised...the girl's totally cute; look, those guys aren't even letting her eat her lunch, they're just gawping at her...I wish that would happen to me" Caroline sulked.

"Ooh, somebody's jealous!" I teased her.

"Hmm" She grumbled; I turned back to Stefan who was still staring in Elizabeth's direction.

"Stefan, she can't do anything if you just stop looking at her for a split second"

"I'm sorry, Elena; it's just...I don't trust her"

"Why? Is she threatening to get rid of Elena?" Caroline interrupted.

"Caroline, why don't you go and see if Matt needs you for anything" I offered.

"Wait, Matt doesn't want me..."

"Just go" I forced her.

"Fine; Fine, I'll go already" Caroline got up and left the table, taking her lunch with her.

"Why don't you trust her, Stefan?"

"Because what she said to me...it's put me on edge"

"Why what did she say? Did she threaten you?"

"She knows about us, Elena"

"What? Like...me and you, us?"

"No, me and Damon"

"Oh...well, what does she know?"

"She didn't say; but I'd hate to find out what she does know"

"Well, why don't you ask her?"

"I'm scared to know the answers" He confessed.

"If you can't ask her...then I will"

"No, Elena...don't, just leave it"

"Hey, you want answers...you're gunna get them; Hey, Elizabeth!" I shouted to her; she turned her head to look at me confusedly. I waved my hand to signal that I wanted her to come over; she obeyed, leaving her admirers disappointed.

"Elena...you called me?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd like to come on a walk with me tomorrow"

"I'm sorry...I don't understand"

"Consider it a token of friendship; would you be up for it?" I looked at her eagerly.

"And what would we be doing on this walk?"

"I could show you the rest of the town; you could get to know a few people...you know, that sort of thing"

"Sounds intriguing...but I'm not a people person, Elena"

"Well, what if we went shopping instead? I could get Bonnie to come with us...we can make a whole night out of it"

"Fine; I will accompany you on this little escapade of yours...it might actually be fun"

"Great...I'll meet you at your locker after school"

"I look forward to seeing you" Elizabeth smiled before walking away; Stefan frowned at me seriously.

"What are you doing, Elena? She can't be trusted until we know why she's here"

"Don't worry, we will soon... and tomorrow she's going to tell me herself"

**End of Chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 4**

**Elizabeth's POV**

-_Flashback-_

_December 1848_

_I giggled as I tried to find my way through the complicated maze; it was snowing and Damon and I were playing a game in the courtyard. It had been a year since I entered the Salvatore Manor with fear of trying to find salvation from the bloodthirsty vampire I happened to call my sister. But since then, all has been forgotten - but not completely- I have never felt better in all the years I lived on this earth. Giuseppe has taken me in as one of his own, and as I am a member of his household, I have the enjoyable pleasure of looking after his younger son, Stefan. He holds a great resemblance to his older brother, Damon; and seeing him smile and gurgle each day, brings me joy I thought I could never feel again. _

_My life now, was finally perfect._

_I suddenly stopped and rested on the large statue of Michelangelo's David -or what I could see of it- to catch my breath; I looked around to see that Damon was nowhere in sight._

"_Given up already, Damon?" I called._

"_Well, I see that you have" I turned around in shock to find he was right behind me, smiling brightly._

"_I have not" I smiled. "I am simply taking a little rest on this statue"_

"_Oh really? Tag you're it!" I gasped in shock when a snowball was thrown at my arm. Damon turned away and started to run in the northerly direction; I obviously followed, with snowball in hand. My body was now rushing with the adrenaline of the chase._

"_I'm catching up, Damon!" I taunted after him; Damon laughed and started to run even faster_

"_You'll never catch me!" For a second, he turned his head to look back at how far I was behind him, but he didn't see the large root sticking out of the snow. He tripped instantly, landing softly on a thick blanket of snow; I immediately ran to his side._

"_Damon! Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly; Damon just laughed in response._

"_Got ya!" He laughed._

"_Damon! That wasn't funny! I thought you were hurt!"_

"_Come on, Elizabeth; where is your sense of fun?"_

"_Usually when someone hurts themselves, it is not fun" Damon's laugh gradually came to a stop._

"_I'm sorry" He smiled._

"_All is forgiven; just promise you will not do it again"_

"_I promise"_

**Damon's POV**

Elizabeth.

It was her; she'd finally come back after all these years. What puzzled me was the fact that she would actually come back after leaving me all those years ago. As children, we played; we laughed and we had fun...most would say we were the perfect match. But all of that had changed when she'd left. No note was left, just the sadness and disappointment I felt afterwards; I never heard from her again. The name Elizabeth, in time, had faded through my mind; I'd become more mature, grown-up...teaching my little brother the lessons life had to offer as the years went by. Elizabeth was a tiny memory in the darkest, deepest depths of my mind; never to be thought of again...

It was only until Katherine came along that she came back into my mind; she'd introduced herself as Pierce, causing Elizabeth's memory to come flooding back even more. Katherine held a great resemblance to Elizabeth; every move she made, every facial expression she showed...reminded me of her. There even came a time when I wanted to ask her whether she knew Elizabeth, whether she ever saw her...considering her name was Pierce. But then I remembered; Katherine had come into our household because she was an orphan...who'd lost her family in a fire; even if she was related to Elizabeth in some ways, she would have been dead. All hope was lost...

Until now of course.

**Elizabeth's POV**

"Elena, where is Bonnie? I thought she was coming with us"

"She can't; apparently, she has _other_ commitments tonight"

"That's fine; it can just be the two of us"

"Someone's eager" Elena smiled.

"In a strange way...I am"

"Well, what do you want to do, considering Bonnie isn't coming with us?"

"I thought we could take a walk somewhere"

"A walk? Like...in a park?"

"Something like that"

"Sounds great"

"Let me just take a trip to the restroom before we go"

**Elena's POV**

I watched as Elizabeth moved gracefully in between the crowds, before finally walking into the girl's room; I sighed, shutting my locker door. This was it. Today, I was going to get Elizabeth to confess everything to me; why she was here, what she planned to do...everything. I knew Elizabeth would hate me for it, considering I was somehow now worthy of her trust; but it was for the greater good of the town, and everybody I loved in it. She was a vampire, nothing else; she may be sweet and innocent...but she could have deep dark secrets about what she may be planning for the town...that, I needed to find out. It somehow worries me, knowing that she happens to know the Salvatore brothers...particularly Damon for that matter; I've seen the way she looks at Stefan, like somehow he should know her...like they've crossed paths before. It's all mind-boggling when I think about it; But, I don't know how much she knows the Salvatore brothers or whether she was supposed to have known them...but I can tell that somewhere deep inside her, is a dark past -what vampire doesn't- it's just waiting for me to bring it back to the surface.

"Are you sure about this?" Stefan asked me from behind; I should have jumped considering the fact he just appeared out of nowhere, but I didn't stir. The thought of Elizabeth in my mind was too great.

"No, I'm not" I said doubtfully.

"You don't have to do this, Elena; I can do this myself"

"Stefan, I want to help...in any way I can"

"Then, why are you so unsure?"

"Because...maybe she really is innocent, looking for a normal life"

"Elena, There's no such thing"

"Oh really, what did you come here for?"

"That's different"

"No it's not, Stefan; if she _is_ innocent...you'll just have to accept it"

"What if she pretends to be innocent? There is such a thing as acting when it comes to vampires"

"Did you pretend to be innocent?" Stefan hung his head.

"Stefan, I'm worthy of her trust; I'm not going to abuse that now. Whether she's pretending or not, I'll find out either way"

"Just be careful; if you're in trouble, I'll be close by"

"No...Stefan, it has to be just me and her; if she senses you near, she'll panic and then we'll never find out"

"Please, Elena; just promise me you'll be careful"

"I will; I promise, nothing is going to happen to me"

...

"Why don't we venture this way?" Elizabeth suggested.

"But...that's the woods" I gulped.

"I know; there is something I wish to show to you"

"Does it have to be in the woods?"

"Yes; considering it has been there for over a century and a half"

"Well I did ask where you wanted to go..."

Even though I was highly unsure about Elizabeth's decision; I followed. I promised Stefan I would be careful about what I was going to do and I intended to keep that promise no matter what happened. It amazed me that Elizabeth was able to gracefully find her way through the woods, as if it was like clockwork to her. I on the other hand, was tripping over twigs and branches and other sorts of plants that stuck up from the ground; it was quite unpleasant to look at.

"Are we nearly there? Wherever _there_ is?" I asked, trying to dodge a branch that stuck out at a surprising length.

"Almost; we just have to pass a few more trees" Elizabeth responded simply.

"Good; because I can't take much more of this"

"We're here now"

After dodging another tree, we had both come into a clearing. There were crumbling old ruins of a past mansion in the centre of the clearing; leaves and other various plants were entwined around them, it was quite difficult to see the ruins. But Elizabeth gazed at them with love in her eyes, like the ruins reminded her of a special memory.

"What is all of this?" I asked.

"This used to be my home" She said sadly, still staring at the ruins.

"Your home?"

"I know you know what I am, Elena; I'm not as stupid as you think" Shoot; I'd been caught out.

"How did you find out?"

"You have a vampire as a boyfriend; it wasn't difficult to figure out"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You wanted to know why I am here in Mystic Falls; that's why you suggested all of this in the first place"

"How did you...?" I began.

"I am a vampire, Elena; I hear everything around me...even tiny whispers to boyfriends"

"...What are you going to do with me?" Elizabeth laughed.

"Come on, Elena; I'm not _that_ ghastly...I have a heart"

"But...?"

"Elena, I'm not going to hurt you"

"So why did you bring me out here in the woods, if you knew what I was going to ask you?"

"I told you; you wanted to know why I am here in Mystic Falls...so I'm showing you"

"You're actually going to tell me?"

"I have nothing to hide, Elena; so yes, I am telling you"

"I don't think I've ever met a vampire like you" I smiled.

"Well, I'm not like any other vampire"

"So...How old are you?"

"I've been sixteen years old since 1855"

"What happened?"

"I've been asking myself that for a long time; I don't know or remember how I was turned"

"Do you remember what happened before all of that?"

"Oh Elena, you don't know how much I wish that I didn't"

"Why?"

"Well, like most vampires...I had a past...more dark than anyone could ever imagine"

"Tell me" I begged.

"You know my name is Pierce" I nodded.

"This...is what is left of my home; 'the old Pierce Mansion' as they now call it" Elizabeth was now smiling to herself, as if there was something within it that she had found funny.

"I know...you lived here" I nodded.

"I lived here with my mother; my father past away when I was six years old...so it was just myself and her living here"

"Any siblings?"

"None that I wish to remember"

"Any reason?"

"You already know my name is Pierce" I nodded in response. "What do you know about that name?"

"I know that back in 1864, Stefan knew a girl who was called Katherine; she was a Pierce as well. Wait...is Katherine _related_ to you?

"Wow, you _are_ smarter than I thought; and yes...she _is_ related to me, whether I like it or not...which would definitely be a 'not'"

"Who is she to you?"

"Aren't you smart enough to work that one out?" I shook my head lightly.

"I don't blame you; you wouldn't believe it even if you did work it out for yourself"

"So...who is she?"

"Believe it or not...she is my sister"

"Y-your...sister?"

"Ha-Ha; told you"

"How is that even possible?"

"Elena, even I don't know the answer to that question"

"Wait, if she's your sister...did you know about what she did back in 1864?" I asked her angrily.

"Yes" She said grimly. "But what vampire who lived back then, doesn't?"

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"Elena, I was too busy running"

"Running from what?"

"Katherine; there was a reason for why I had such a dark past"

"What did she do?"

"She killed my mother, Elena"

"W-what?"

"We were a happy family back in 1847, with my father dead, we tried to live in the best way we could. We made it work, just the three of us; me, mother and Katherine. She and I were the best of friends; we would always play with each other. Everything changed when she went missing"

"Katherine was missing?"

"Yes; she was missing for almost a week. Mother was so distraught over losing her, she asked as many people as she could find who would help search for her. No-one did. Katherine remained unfound"

"But you found her?"

"In a sense; I was only eight years old. Katherine had come to me in the middle of the night; she was so desperate for something to eat. I tried to help her but then I saw what she was; I ran to mother, I wanted the both of us to escape, but when I got to her...I saw Katherine had gone to her first. Katherine wanted to turn her, but because she was so hungry...she killed her in the process. But it wasn't just my mother; she wanted to turn me as well"

"Why would she want to turn the both of you?"

"She wanted us to be as a family for eternity, always happy, always together; but...I didn't want her to turn me, I wanted her to kill me; I didn't want to be what she had become, I would have rather died. But Katherine said no, she told me that I could run as much as I wanted; hide for as long as I needed to...she would hunt me down and eventually turn me...She didn't want to be alone"

"Why didn't she turn you there and then?"

"That is what I thought; but, it was only until years later that I realised that, vampires like to prey and stalk their victims rather than just go straight for the kill...it's more fun that way"

"So...you've been running from Katherine for 164 years?" Elizabeth nodded slightly.

"There's something I don't understand" I told her.

"What was so confusing for you?"

"How come you know Stefan and Damon, if you've been running from Katherine for so long?"

"After Katherine threatened me...I escaped; I did what she told me to do, I ran...I ran through the woods, hoping I would lose her. But, then I came across Salvatore Manor"

"You mean Stefan and Damon?"

"Mmhmm" She confirmed. "Their father kept me hidden from Katherine; he raised me like one of his own"

"Did he think about the danger it would have caused all of you with Katherine looking for you?"

"No; I never told Giuseppe the reason for showing up at his home...but, I did tell Damon. I trusted him greatly back then"

"What about Stefan? If you knew him back then, then he would have recognised you"

"I knew him, yes; he could try to remember me, but he can't...considering he was only a few months old when I arrived"

"Oh"

"So...now you know everything"

"Why didn't you tell Stefan about this?"

"I may have babysat him in the past, Elena; but he threatened me. I don't trust him"

"He's only trying to protect the town"

"You mean he is protecting _you_?"

"So...what do you plan to do...now that you've told me everything?"

"I don't plan to do anything; I just want a normal life"

"Everything's going back to the way it was?"

"Yes, everything will go on as if nothing has happened"

"But it can't! Especially after what you've told me, I want to know more"

"What is there left to tell? I've told you everything there is"

"Surely there's more...I mean, what about Damon?"

"Damon?" She asked confusedly.

"What happened to the both of you? If you both knew each other, then wouldn't you want to catch up, considering he and Stefan are here in Mystic Falls?"

"I have no desire to see him again, Elena... I have nothing to say to him"

**End of Chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 5**

**Elizabeth's POV**

That was the biggest lie I had ever told. Of course I wanted to see Damon again, he was the only reason I came back to Mystic Falls in the first place. I thought he'd died back in 1864; he and Stefan were shot trying to save my sister. Pitiful, I thought; to think they would have actually wanted to save that monster. She must have had her hooks in them so deep; if Damon knew the truth about her, he wouldn't have bothered saving her. It was painful watching him lie there, alongside his brother; both bleeding immensely. I wanted to help him, I wanted to help them both; but I knew they were long since gone. I'd lost them both...

I'd lost my Damon.

But it was only until I saw Stefan at the school, living and breathing. It only confirmed even more the possibility of Damon being alive too. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. I'd heard in recent years...stories, tales of the legendary Salvatore brothers who had both died for their one love. Some even said that when they died... it was their intense love for her that brought them both back to life, and so they were doomed to search for her...for eternity. I personally never believed in all of that, but considering the fact that Katherine was a vampire who wanted to carry on with both Stefan and Damon...she must have wanted to turn them at some point.

Turned out I was actually right.

**Damon's POV**

_-Flashback-_

"_Father, have you seen Elizabeth? I can't seem to find her"_

"_No, son; I thought she'd be seeing to Stefan"_

"_She did, Father; now she and I are playing hide-and-seek"_

"_Well, son; the main idea is to try and find her on your own" Father chuckled._

"_So have you seen her?"_

"_No, Damon; but I will keep an eye out" He smiled._

_Strange, I thought; usually I would have found her by now. She must have found a really good hiding place this time. I'd searched everywhere; the courtyard, Stefan's nursery, even her bedroom...I just couldn't find her anywhere. There was only one more place that I could look and that was the living room; it was a good hiding place considering there were so many things you could hide behind. I was surprised that I hadn't looked there first._

_Once I entered the room, I searched aimlessly in the hope that I would eventually find her; it was useless. _

"_I give up!" I called. "You can come out now!"_

_Soon, the view of my surroundings changed when I was knocked swiftly onto the floor; I heard giggling as my face was pressed against the carpet._

"_Ha-Ha, Pinned you!"_

"_Okay, you win" I mumbled._

"_You know what your problem is...you give up too easily" Elizabeth giggled before finally letting me go; I sat up straight and folded my legs. Things seemed quiet now, the game now seemed to have stopped; but that was until I got my own back of course._

"_Pinned you!" I said triumphantly; Elizabeth smiled at me, looking into my eyes._

"_You haven't won, Damon" She taunted._

"_Well I happen to think otherwise" I smiled as I gazed in awe at her piercing brown eyes; they were enough to make you lose your mind just looking at them._

**Elena's POV**

"Did you find out why Elizabeth is here?" Stefan asked me seriously.

"Stefan, could we not talk about her please?"

"Elena, I need to know"

"Stefan, please!"

"I'm sorry, Elena"

"No, don't be; it's just...I found out a lot more than what I planned to yesterday and it's...been playing on my mind, that's all"

"Why, what did she say to you?"

"She told me why she was here" I told him simply.

"Isn't that what we wanted to know in the first place?"

"Yes...but she told me _why _she was here"

"She told you her past?"

"Mmhmm"

"All of it?"

"Yes, all of it; every single detail"

"Why would she do that?" Stefan folded his arms.

"Because she has nothing to hide, Stefan! She just wants to live a normal life!"

"Elena? What's going on in here?" Aunt Jenna asked as she came into the room.

"Nothing Jenna, everything's fine" I assured her.

"Okay, well I'm just popping out for an hour; Jeremy's upstairs if you need him" Jenna then grabbed her bag off of the kitchen counter before exiting the room and finally leaving the house.

"Stefan, I think you should start trusting her"

"I'm sorry, Elena; but I don't see any reason why I have to"

"Stefan, she's a _Pierce_"

"How is that relevant?"

"She is _related_ to Katherine"

"In what way? Is she a great-great-granddaughter or something?"

"Elizabeth's her sister, Stefan"

"What?"

"She's her sister; I know, I didn't believe it either when she told me"

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know, Stefan; but it's the truth"

"Back in 1864, Katherine said all of her family had died in a fire"

"Yeah, well she lied... and Elizabeth's the proof of that"

"Wait, is Katherine the reason why she knows me and Damon?"

"More or less, considering Katherine was the one who led her to the both of you"

"I don't understand"

"Elizabeth was only a child when Katherine was turned; when she was turned, she wanted the whole family with her for eternity. Their father was dead so it was only Katherine, her sister and their mother. Katherine killed her mother trying to turn her, so she turned to her sister. Elizabeth ran away because she didn't want to spend an eternity with Katherine. When she ran, she came across your father's mansion; he took her in as one of his own"

"That's impossible; I would have known her"

"It was back in 1847, Stefan; she said you were only a few months old when she arrived"

"She would have put my family in danger; my father wouldn't have agreed to it"

"Elizabeth never told your father about why she showed up; she said she only told Damon"

"Why Damon?"

"Because somehow she trusted him"

"Damon's never mentioned her...even before we were both turned"

"That's because she left; once she found out Katherine was still coming after her...she left, so Katherine wouldn't find her"

"Which explains why Katherine came to us; she only came to look for Elizabeth"

"And that's the full story"

"But why come back if Katherine's still searching for her?"

"She's already told you; she just wants a normal life...she's tired of running" Stefan sighed angrily.

"What's wrong, Stefan?"

"We died...because she let Katherine come into our lives"

"Stefan, it wasn't her fault; it was Katherine's doing, not hers"

"So...you trust her now?"

"What else can I do? She's had a hard life...the least I could do is trust her"

"And you learnt all of that by what she's said to you?"

"Stefan, you know what it was like to be with Katherine and have her hurt you and Damon; Elizabeth's had it harder...she lived with her, she's family. And family's not something you can run away from...you of all people should know what that's like"

"You're right; I do know how that feels"

"Then you'll understand how hurt she's been over the past century and a half"

"I understand...but I still can't trust her"

"Why? I thought you said you understood"

"I do...but I have my reasons"

"So what does Damon think of Elizabeth coming back into town?"

"Nothing; I haven't told him who she is"

"So he still knows a new vampire's here?"

"Yes...but he only knows from what Mrs Flowers told him"

"Is he interested in finding anything about her? It would be strange for him not to, considering he always wants to find out about a new visitor"

"The only thing he's wanted to find lately, is that old box of his; he's even reading his childhood diary"

"Doesn't sound like something Damon would do"

"Well, Damon can be full of surprises"

"So...what are we going to do now, now that you know everything?"

"I'll see; it's obvious that Elizabeth isn't going to do anything dangerous...so we'll just wait and see"

"You trust her?"

"I didn't say I trusted her; I just said that I'll see"

"You'll change your mind sooner or later, Stefan"

"I wouldn't count on it" He smiled.

**Elizabeth's POV**

"_I know; I was just surprised that the Salvatore's were still situated here"_

"_Well not so much now; I live at the old Salvatore boarding house"_

_..._

There it stood, right in front of me; the Salvatore Boarding House. Something about what Stefan had said made me feel the urgency to visit this place. I wasn't planning on coming here, not for a while at least; I had to feel comfortable here before I started taking risks like this...but I had no choice. It was now or never...

It was a lot different compared to the Salvatore's original settlement; they were obviously richer back then and had greater tastes than this. But still, I would be happy to call a place like this, home.

_-Flashback-_

"_Elizabeth?" Damon asked innocently. I was attending to Stefan; he needed a diaper change and continued to cry...now he was ready for his nap._

"_Hmm?" I asked, tucking Stefan into his blanket; he giggled as I tightened it around him._

"_Can I ask you a question?"_

"_Of course; what do you need to ask me?"_

"_Why did you tell me about your sister?"_

"_You've lost me"_

"_Why did you tell me about her? I barely knew you...yet you told me anyway"_

"_You decide to ask me after a year and a half?" I smiled; I looked at Stefan, he smiled a bright toothless smile._

"_It hasn't played on my mind until now"_

"_Oh"_

"_...Why did you trust me? I could have told father"_

"_Did you?"_

"_No; I would never disobey your trust"_

"_Good" I said simply._

"_...So why did you tell me?"_

"_I do not know...I guess I could tell that I could trust you"_

"_What if you were wrong?"_

"_I was willing to risk it, I suppose"_

"_I'm glad you told me about her, Elizabeth"_

"_How so?"_

"_Because we wouldn't be as close as we are now"_

"_I'm sure it could have happened another way"_

"_I suppose; can you promise me something?"_

"_Anything"_

"_Promise we'll stay friends"_

"_What has brought this on?"_

"_I like how we are, I don't want to lose it; I've already lost too much, this is all I have"_

"_I promise"_

_-End of flashback-_

I ended up breaking that promise; Damon had put his trust in me, like I had with him...but I betrayed him. I didn't deserve to be his friend, nor do I deserve to see him now; but I have to make it right...and I would die trying.

I took in a deep breath before I slowly stepped towards the house; it began to tower over me the closer I got to it. How did I even know Damon was going to be here? I knew there was the possibility of him living here, considering Stefan was too; but there was nothing to say that he was actually in...He could be out hunting, feeding on innocent humans; if that's what he decided to survive on. I could just be walking into an empty house.

But either way, it couldn't hurt if I just went to investigate.

I got to the front door and stared at its magnificent and precise details; I could tell it was old because of the style in which the details had been engraved and displayed on the sides. _Salvatore_, it read along the top. This was definitely the place. I knocked on the door; first time, gently...second time, slightly harder. There was no answer of course, so I grabbed the door handle and pulled. The door opened with ease; it creaked gently as it gradually welcomed me into the house. I had somehow expected to see someone there, standing there watching me in the doorway; I mostly expected it to be Stefan, considering he couldn't trust me and he wanted to watch my every move. But fortunately I struck gold. I can't imagine what I would have done if he had been standing there; well, I just wouldn't be in this town, that's for sure.

"Hello?" I called aloud. "Is anyone here?"

No answer.

I stretched my right leg forward; if there was an owner of the house...there was no way I could get in. But there was nothing stopping me, everything was as I had wanted it to be. As I moved further into the hallway, I nervously closed the door behind me. The style inside the house was quite similar to what was shown outside; it still had that period, 1940's look, maybe even earlier than that. But it was just simply breath-taking to how everything within had been placed to show that authentic look.

I turned left to walk into- what looked like- the living room.

It was truly wonderful; there was a grand fireplace in the front of the room...its surroundings, brown leather sofas, priceless looking carpets and study desks topped up with big, heavy hardbacks. Amazing as it was, the room was a mess; I could tell someone had been frantically looking for something...so frantic they couldn't even try to clean up. But what could they have been looking for?

There was something that had caught my eye on the far side of the room; I swiftly moved towards it and got a closer look at it. It was a rusty, royal blue box which had been opened and its contents scattered across the desk. I moved the lid of the box so I could see what was on the front; I was blown away by the discovery. I'd seen this box before; the damaged lock, the engraved bird. This was Damon's. I remember him showing it to me years back; it actually came as a surprise to me to actually think he would have kept it after all these years.

I started to look through the contents of what was in the box; all it was was pieces of paper, bits and bobs from his childhood...and even a small picture of me.

What?

It was me, back in 1848; I looked so different back then...long brunette locks, old period dress...I was a whole different person; that's if you're considering the whole human part that is. But no, I was a completely different person back then because I felt so care free...whilst I was with the Salvatore's of course. I frowned at the smile I showed in the picture. It was a mask; sure, I looked pretty...but underneath all of that was the hurt and pain I felt for my mother and father; Katherine on the other hand, I only felt fear for...even till this day. I will always be scared of her, for as long as I shall live. Nothing will change that.

_Bang._

That was the sound of the front door closing; someone was here. I would have tried to hide, but they would have smelled me out anyway. I remained still, looking at the picture. If it was Stefan, he could be easily persuaded as to why I am here; not that I would tell him the truth...he would have something to say against it. But, if it was Damon...actually I don't know what I would do. I've been gone for over a century and a half, an explanation of why I was back after all this time wasn't going to cut it; I know I'd have to do better.

Suddenly, I felt my body being pushed violently towards and onto the floor; I landed with a hard thud. It took me a while before I could open my eyes from the shock of hitting the floor. Once I did, I realised I was being stared at with piercing grey eyes...his fangs, now extended; ready for the kill. I gulped slightly and looked away, turning my head.

"_Who are you_?" He spoke threateningly; I gulped again, I couldn't get my words out.

"_Who are you?_" He asked again, his hand now tight around my neck.

"I...I mean... you no...Harm" I told him truthfully, struggling to breathe.

"_Why are you here_?" I didn't want to answer him; deep down, he would have known the answer. He just had to look close enough. I began to face him again.

"You...you know why" I glared at him, staring into his eyes. At that point, his eyes had darkened to the blackest of black...his fangs, gone. All that was left was his beautiful, distinct features. A frown appeared on his face, there was nothing but surprise and confusion across his face.

"Elizabeth?" He whispered nervously.

"Hello Damon"

**End of Chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 6**

**Previously:**_**A frown appeared on his face, there was nothing but surprise and confusion across his face.**_

"_**Elizabeth?" He whispered nervously.**_

"_**Hello Damon"**_

**Elizabeth's POV**

Damon moved swiftly towards the furthest end of the room, leaving me still lying on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" He asked firmly. I slowly sat up in a seated position, ready to answer his question.

"I think you already know why I'm here, Damon; me being here should be enough proof for you"

"No...I don't"

"Yes...you do; it's written all over your face"

"Why did you come back?" I sighed in frustration.

"Oh, if only I had a dollar for everyone that's asked me those questions..." I began.

"I thought you were dead" Damon interrupted.

"Technically speaking, yes; but I'm here now"

"Why? Why come now? You had a good enough excuse to leave in 1849"

"Yes, I did...you of all people know that I had a good enough reason to leave" I stood up from my seated position.

"I was the only person you told, remember"

"Then why ask me about it?"

"Because I want to hear it from you...I can't seem to admit it to myself, right now"

"I left because...I wanted to protect you"

"From what?" Damon folded his arms.

"You _know_ what, Damon...Katherine. I was trying to protect you from Katherine"

"Yeah, you did a damn good job of that didn't you?" He said sarcastically.

"I know; but why do you think I left? I knew Katherine was still after me and she would have soon traced me back to your family's mansion...and she would have killed everyone in it just to get to me. I cared about you, your father and Stefan too much to put your lives in jeopardy like that"

"But Katherine still came to us"

"I know she did; just because I left, doesn't mean I didn't keep checks on you over the years"

"You came back, not even thinking to tell me?"

"Like I said, I didn't want to risk your family's life"

"So you knew...about what Katherine did to me and Stefan?"

"Unfortunately yes...I even saw you when you were both shot in cold blood"

"You watched us, being murdered?"

"Mentally, I wanted to help you; but physically I couldn't...besides, you both were too far gone for me to save you"

"So we died...because you let Katherine come to us?"

"As pathetic as it sounds, you both died for love; but no, I didn't know she would come to you...I didn't know it would take her that long to find you"

"How are you even a vampire? Did Katherine finally get to you, is that why you're still running from her?"

"I don't know; I don't remember how or why I was turned, but here I am...a living, breathing corpse"

"Looks like Katherine got what she wanted in the end..." Damon smiled sarcastically.

"Not entirely...she wanted me to be with her as well as being a vampire"

"Yeah well, it's thanks to her and you that I'm like this...with an eternity of hell I might add" Damon glared.

"Why is it my fault? I only wanted to protect you! I didn't know Katherine had got to you until I came back in 1864!"

"I still blame you..."

"You know what, Damon? Believe what you want...but if you want to act like a pathetic human then so be it!"

"Who says I'm acting pathetic?" Damon smiled slightly.

"All you want to do is hang onto the past..." I began.

"Yeah well it's not like you or your sister gave me a reason not to"

"What I did, was for you and your family; what Katherine did, was for _her_...so I don't know how I'm the villain in all of this"

"I think you've said enough" Damon turned to walk away.

"What?"

"Leave. Now"

"I will, but just answer me this...truthfully" Damon turned to face me again.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why were you in love with Katherine?" Damon frowned slightly as he contemplated his answer.

"Answer me" I told him. "Why were you in love with her?"

"I told you to leave..._now_" Damon glared intensely.

"And I told you to answer me"

"Leave now, or I will kill you like I should have done for trespassing here" That surprised me greatly; Damon had changed completely...he wasn't the person I knew all those years ago, something had changed him.

"Fine, I'll leave; but just know this...something's happened to you; you're not the Damon I used to know...I don't even know who you are anymore"

**Elena's POV**

"Aunt Jenna, could I ask you a favour?" I asked, walking into the kitchen; Jenna was folding tea-cloths and placing them into a drawer.

"Sure...how much money do you want?" Jenna turned her head towards me and smiled.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could have a friend over for dinner tomorrow"

"Stefan can come for dinner if he wants to"

"No, I don't mean Stefan; well I do, but there's someone else as well"

"Oh?"

"There's a new girl in town, Elizabeth; I was hoping whether I could invite her..."

"Say no more about it; you want to make the girl feel welcome...I get it" Jenna smiled.

"So she can come?"

"Sure...but I'll have to get some groceries in; I'll pick some up tomorrow"

"Is Jeremy up in his room again?"

"Yeah, doing homework"

"What do you think? Alien invasion?" I spoke seriously.

"He's just trying to occupy himself...he's having trouble with Vicki"

"Why is he even with her anyway? She's a bad influence"

"Nah, Jeremy won't listen...I'd just let him get on with it and if he wants to talk...then we'll be here"

"Do you think he will?"

"Maybe...or not; but he knows where we are if he does"

"Listen, I just want to step out for a while...do you mind if I take the car?"

"Sure... but don't be gone too long, it's getting dark; where are you going anyway?"

"Just to see a friend" I replied simply.

...

_Knock, Knock, Knock._

The door opened quickly.

"Hello, Elena" Damon smiled mischievously. "What an unexpected surprise"

"Don't start" I warned him lightly. Damon stepped aside, letting me enter the house.

"Start what?" He asked innocently, closing the door behind him.

"That flirty eye thing that you just did"

"Aww, so you didn't come all this way just to see me?" Damon pouted.

"As much as it pains me to say it, yes...I did come to see you"

"Finally given Stefan the old heave-ho?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I spoke sarcastically.

"Very much, so"

"And why is that, Damon?" I sighed, sitting on one of the large sofas in the living room.

"You can do..._so_ much better than Stefan; He's always so..._brooding_ and _tortured_, whereas you...could be with someone that's much more fun to be around" I knew Damon was hinting towards himself, but I decided to go along with it.

"Well if you see anyone that fits that description, let me know"

"Ha-ha, very funny Elena...you almost got me" Damon spoke sarcastically.

"Who says I was kidding?" My right eyebrow lifted slightly, as the right corner of my lips curved up into a small smile.

"So what are you here for?" Damon said, beginning to get serious. "Because whatever you're here for...I'm guessing it's not good"

"Depends on how you interpret it"

"Enlighten me then"

"What do you know of the vampire that's come into town?" Damon was quick to fold his arms; the question seemed to spark something inside him, causing him to tense up and strengthen his posture. I decided to ignore it.

"I know that they're not welcome here" He responded seriously.

"But what do you _really_ know? Have you found anything out since they came here?"

"Why so interested?"

"Because I know who they are, and I want to know if you do too"

"Really, who?"

"Her name's Elizabeth; does that ring any bells for you?"

"Nope."

"She claims that she knew you and Stefan back in the 1800's"

"Why, did you speak with her?"

"She goes to my school...Stefan smelled her out, and she told me everything"

"Pfft, everything?"

"Yes, everything; what happened to her, why she came back to the town...how she knew you and Stefan"

"How could she know me, if I barely know her?"

"I think you do, Damon; she said that back when she was a child, she came across your family's mansion and you and her were childhood friends"

"_Friends_. Is that what she called us?" Damon murmured under his breath.

"So you _do_ know her?" Damon nodded lightly.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew her?"

"What was there to tell? She's nothing to me, just like her sister"

"You sound like she did something to you..."

"Ha, what didn't she do to me?" Damon turned and walked towards the table at the far end of the room and poured himself a glass- of what looked like- scotch.

"You sound hurt by it..."

"Hurt's an emotion for people that care, Elena" Damon took a large sip from his glass.

"Damon, if you weren't hurt; you wouldn't be drinking that scotch" Damon chuckled and took another large sip.

"Hasn't Stefan taught you anything? It helps with the cravings for blood...if I didn't have it, I'd be at your neck right now"

"Say what you want, Damon; you're hurt... if you wanted my blood, you would have been at my neck, the second I appeared at the door"

"Ha, there's no fooling you is there"

"No there isn't...she hurt you didn't she?"

"I wouldn't say she _hurt_ me...it was more like wounded me for an eternity"

"What did she do that was so bad?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it was because she led that little bitch of a sister to me and Stefan"

"Katherine? Hey, it wasn't Elizabeth's fault! She said she left for a reason!"

"So, what...the two of you are friends now? Think you've both got it all figured out?"

"Damon, it was Katherine's fault that she turned you and Stefan...not Elizabeth's"

"It doesn't matter who's fault it was...I blame the both of them, end of conversation"

"You're upset, Damon"

"What makes you think I'm upset?"

"She left...Elizabeth left you...and you were upset by that...is that what you blame her for?"

"I don't wanna talk anymore"

"You'll have to 'fess up some day, Damon"

"Hmm, not likely"

...

**Maria's POV**

"Miss, I've brought you your newspaper" I spoke politely, handing my mistress her paper.

"Thank you, Maria...you know, you do so much for me these days; I'm actually thinking of increasing your salary" my mistress smiled.

"But you hardly pay me at all" I noted shyly, hanging my head.

"Maybe I should...after all; you have been so good to me, these past couple of months"

"Thank you, Miss" I slowly lifted my head and gazed in awe; my mistress was so beautiful. Her translucent pale skin, her wondrous designer clothing...the way her neat curls swayed in contrast to the sun...so perfect. It all made me feel so envious of her... I wanted to be her.

"My, this town has been busy lately" My mistress spoke as if she was scolding what she had read.

"Anything wrong, miss?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Maria; this town...Mystic Falls, they've been getting a rather large amount of animal attacks, these past couple of weeks" She smiled smugly.

"Animal attacks?"

"They say 'animal attacks'; but they're only saying that to cover the real truth"

"And, if you don't mind me asking...what _is_ the real truth?" My mistress smiled.

"Its vampires" She spoke casually. "Shh, but don't tell anybody I told you so"

"Miss, are you sure it's vampires? Surely, they can't be real"

"Maria, they are as real as the sky is blue..." She turned a few more pages of the newspaper.

"Oh, here's something interesting; _'we, the townspeople of Mystic Falls, have recently welcomed a new citizen into our community; Miss Elizabeth Pierce. We hope that she has a wonderful and exciting time in our prosperous and thriving town' _Hmmm"

"Elizabeth, what a beautiful name" I commented, now cleaning up the coffee table in the centre of the room.

"It _is_ a beautiful name" My mistress agreed. "_Elizabeth Pierce_" She said, as if she was testing the name thoroughly through her voice.

"Pretty, little Elizabeth" There was a slight pause before she abruptly began to giggle and laugh. I somehow wanted to laugh alongside her, to entertain and hopefully please her, even though I didn't understand what was so humorous about that name. But my mistress was in too much a world of her own at this point for me to even consider asking what was so funny. But I decided to acknowledge it and continued to clean.

"Maria?" My mistress asked once the laughter had stopped.

"Yes, Miss?" I responded, my hands crossed formally in front of me.

"You're free to go; I am no longer in need of your care"

"But..." I began to protest. She reached into her designer jean pocket and pulled out a large sum of cash and placed it gracefully onto the coffee table.

"Here, this should cover all the work you have done for me"

"Thank you, Miss...But where will you go?"

"I've decided to go to Mystic Falls" She responded, walking towards the door.

"To do what, may I ask?" She smiled wickedly in response.

"Visit family"

**End of Chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Coming Home **

**A/N:**** I just want to say thanks to the people who've reviewed so far, you're kind words have been gratefully noted.**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own any of the lines that may have been used or sound like the ones from the actual TV Series of Vampire Diaries.**

**Chapter 7**

**Elena's POV**

I walked groggily into the kitchen to see Jeremy nestled comfortably on one of the kitchen chairs eating his breakfast and Aunt Jenna in the corner sipping a mug filled with coffee, whilst flicking through today's morning paper.

"Morning" I tried to say pleasantly. As I walked towards the cereal boxes, Jeremy responded with a short mumble...which, strangely, I understood.

"Elena, have you seen this morning's paper? It seems that there have been more animal attacks in the area" Aunt Jenna took a long sip from her mug.

"Jenna, if there are any more animal hunts because of all of this...there's going to be no more animals left in Mystic Falls to blame"

"Hmm, it's strange how animals keep attacking these people...you'd think the mayor would have it all sorted by now"

"I know" I mumbled.

"You don't sound so surprised" Jenna noted.

"To be honest, I've got more important things to deal with"

"You mean important things like Stefan?"

"Gotta go" Jeremy said immediately, taking his bowl of cereal as he left the room.

"So what's up between you two?"

"What makes you think anything's up?" I asked innocently.

"Well, when I said goodbye to Stefan the other night after you and him were talking, he never responded...and I knew that wasn't like him; so what's up?"

"Nothing's up...it's just that he has things on his mind, that's all"

"Damon troubles? I wouldn't be surprised if he had...the guy's a complete ass"

"Damon's a lot of things, Jenna; but no...I don't think that's what's up with Stefan"

"So everything's okay with the two of you, then?" I nodded slightly.

"If you say so..."

...

"So, the battle of Willow Creek began in..."

Mr Tanner's voice seemed to become more distorted in my mind. Every lesson we had, consisted of learning about our heritage which had included the Battle of Willow Creek. I quickly snuck a quick look over towards Stefan; usually, his eyes would have met mine by now and I would have gazed deeply into them. But Stefan's eyes were looking in another direction...which was mostly Elizabeth's. Elizabeth was looking at the history book that Mr Tanner had given to her earlier in the lesson; she looked entranced by what was printed on each of the pages she looked upon, not taking any notice at the fact that Stefan was looking in her direction. But I was guessing that somehow she secretly knew...even if she looked like she didn't.

"Miss Gilbert?" Mr Tanner called expectantly and irritably.

"Yes?" I smiled pleasantly.

"Could you enlighten the class with the amount of casualties during the Battle of Willow Creek?"

"Err... a lot?" I guessed stupidly; Most of the class now snickered at my response.

"Can you be a bit more specific, Miss Gilbert?"

"327, sir; unless you're also counting the civilian casualties" Another voice answered.

"Correct, Miss Pierce; but unfortunately there were no civilian casualties" I sighed lightly; once again, another student got 'tannered' as we all called it.

"Err...Mr Tanner, there _were_ civilian casualties during the battle...27 to be exact; confederate soldiers fired on a church which was thought to be housing weapons, they were wrong. It was a time of great loss" My lips curved into a small smile. Once again, Stefan had proven Mr Tanner wrong.

"Actually, there were _26 _civilian casualties during the battle; confederate soldiers did -of course- fire on the church...but one civilian that was inside, managed to escape with their lives " Elizabeth interrupted.

"Somebody, look it up!" Mr Tanner said angrily. All at once, everyone got out their blackberries or Iphones, obeying Mr Tanners order; the room now filled with the sound of buttons being pressed rapidly.

"So who's right? I mean, all three of us can't be right" Mr Tanner asked, glaring at the class.

"...there were ..._26 _civilian casualties" Michael smiled as he read from what was on his phone screen; my mouth was hung slightly. For the first time ever, Stefan Salvatore had been wrong. I looked at him; there was nothing on his face to show defeat or embarrassment...not even the slightest body movement either; Stefan was completely neutral. The rest of the class- instead- began to clap in appreciation of their new classmate. They were obviously impressed that someone had beaten what was the smartest kid in the class.

"Well done, Miss Pierce; although no-one here likes a know-it-all" Mr Tanner then turned back towards the blackboard.

...

"Hey Elizabeth, how did you know all of that stuff?" I asked her, once class was over.

"Let me guess; I've stolen Stefan's thunder, haven't I?" Elizabeth smiled lightly.

"Oh, he'll get over it...but how did you know all of that? I thought there were 27 civilians in the church"

"Is that what Stefan taught you?" I nodded.

"Unfortunately, as you saw during class...he's wrong; there were 26 civilians within the church"

"Why would Stefan think there were 27? He would have known about it considering he was alive around that time"

"He's not completely wrong...There were _supposed _to have been 27 citizens in the church; I know that from when I came back here in 1864...the founding families, were rounding up the vampires of Mystic Falls, placing them in the church to be burnt alive; I was lucky enough not get caught"

"You said in class that there was one who managed to escape, who was it?"

"I said to you that I came back to Mystic Falls because I was tired of running..." She hinted. It took a while for it to sink in and for me to actually catch onto what Elizabeth was getting at.

"Katherine? She's the one who escaped?" I whispered; other students were now walking past trying to listen to our conversation. Elizabeth nodded grimly.

"Do you think Stefan or Damon know about this?"

"I doubt it; Katherine was one for showing up and leaving, not thinking of looking back"

"Do you think you should tell them about her?"

"It's obvious that they both don't trust me; but they'll find out eventually, one way or another"

"Wait... I thought it was just Stefan that didn't trust you...Is this about what Damon said to you?" Elizabeth was now silent.

"Elizabeth, tell me! What did he say?" I persisted.

"Well, I was hoping to talk to Stefan...to explain properly about who I really was and what I meant to him and his brother; but when I stood outside the boarding house, my mind changed in an instant...I wanted to talk to Damon instead"

"And...?"

"I did. I spoke to him; well, he attacked me before I managed to but...he blames me for what Katherine did to him and Stefan"

"Damon's just hurt, Elizabeth; you'd meant a lot to him back then"

"He told you that?" She asked, sounding quite hopeful.

"No. But I could tell that you did from the way he acted"

"There was something I could tell from the way he acted, when I spoke to him"

"What?"

"Damon's not the same person that I once knew...he's changed, Elena"

"I think you should have expected that when you spoke to him; he's been through a lot because of Katherine"

"I know; but it feels as if there's nothing left of him that used to exist...like Katherine's destroyed all of his humanity and anything that was good"

"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up; there's no way to change Damon... sadly, he's been like that for over a century and a half. What's done is done..."

"Oh"

"Listen...why don't you come round to my house for dinner tonight?"

"What's the occasion?" Elizabeth asked suspiciously.

"No occasion; just a lovely meal between friends" I spoke innocently.

"Is Stefan going to be there?"

"Yes...but, I thought you two could like...bond or something"

"Bond?" She smiled.

"I want this town safe, and if it means organising a dinner to help the two of you see sense and not fight, then so be it"

"Well, Elena; I can honestly say that, I would be more than satisfied to attend"

"Great...now I just have to persuade Stefan to come"

...

_Dear Diary,_

_Tonight I'm taking a risk... I've invited Elizabeth over for dinner. I know that I barely know her, but somehow she's been willing to put her trust into me and I feel the need to preserve that trust. Elizabeth was quite pleased when I asked her; someone, since she arrived in the town, has actually taken a shine to her...and maybe I have. Stefan on the other hand, wasn't so pleased; he doesn't trust her, you see... Both of them don't get on... but I feel I need to put things right; sure, she's Katherine's sister...but she is nothing that Katherine ever was, or from what I've heard. She has a pure soul, I could tell that about her; in many ways, she is similar to Stefan...and I was hoping tonight I could make him see that. They don't have to distrust each other in the ways that they do...they both need to see that they can't fight when there's other important things at hand..._

_Let's just hope that for tonight, something good will come out of it._

_Wish me Luck x_

**Stefan's POV**

"What are you getting all dressed up for?" Damon asked, a disinterested look spread across his face.

"If you must know, I'm going over to Elena's for dinner"

"Give Elena my regards" He smiled, holding up his glass as if in a toast.

"Don't you think you've drunk enough of that...?" I asked trying to tie the final lace on my left shoe.

"Don't you think you should stop with the questions...?"

"I've noticed you've been keeping a low profile lately" I commented, changing the subject.

"With the founder's council back on the alert because of the new 'animal attacks' I thought it best not to draw attention to myself; besides, I've got more important things to do than to go around chewing on people"

"Like Elizabeth?"

"How do you even know about her?"

"It was hard not to, considering she's always with Elena"

"You trust her enough to be around your girl? I mean, she's practically a stranger"

"I trust Elena to make her own decisions"

"I don't blame you for not trusting her...girl's a bitch anyway, like her sister in most cases"

"You don't trust her either?"

"I stopped giving trust a long time ago, Stefan; you of all people should know that"

"So nothing she says means anything to you?"

"Nope" Damon said simply, taking a large sip from his glass.

"Not even the fact that someone managed to escape from the church when it was being burned to the ground?" Damon chocked slightly on his scotch.

"What?"

"Elizabeth said in that one person managed to escape from the church when it was set alight"

"She's wrong; that fire was big enough to make escape impossible"

"According to her that's what happened..."

"How do you even trust her enough to know whether she's right? I mean, she shows up into the town, uninvited and then suddenly she seems to know everything about our family and what happened to Katherine"

"Wait; is there something you're not telling me, here?"

"Oh here we go again with the questions; Stefan, have you even heard of the expression 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Damon took another sip from his glass.

"Yes...but considering I'm already dead, it doesn't matter"

"Well, that one didn't go as well as I'd hoped" Damon muttered with a small frown.

"Damon, what does she know about us?" I asked seriously.

"Who cares about what she knows? She'll be dead before she'll get the chance to utter a word to anyone"

"Well, if it's not that big-a-deal, then you wouldn't mind telling me"

"Yeah. I'm done talking now"

"I'm not going to drop this, Damon...you do know that right?"

"Aren't you supposed to be with Elena, right now?"

...

"Jenna, is everything ready?" I asked hurriedly, placing food onto plates.

"Yes, everything's ready; although, you ain't fooling anybody with that Chinese take-away" She laughed.

"Yeah well, the food isn't as important tonight... it's about friends and getting to know them"

"Okay then, you have a great night...I'm going over to Alaric's for dinner"

"Hey, my cooking's not that bad!"

"See you later" Jenna smiled in response before leaving the room.

"Mmm, what smells good?" Jeremy asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Not for you" I scolded him. "It's for our guest, tonight"

"Stefan's been coming here long enough; I think you could stop using the 'guest' term"

"Well, if you must know; Stefan_ is _coming tonight, but I meant someone else as well"

"Really and who's that?"

"New girl in town, Elizabeth"

"Oh you mean, Elizabeth Pierce?"

"Yeah, do you know her?"

"It's hard not to when she's got every guy in school drooling over her, including Tyler Lockwood"

"Tyler? He seems too..." I began.

"Yeah, I know" Jeremy said, agreeing to a sentence I hadn't even finished. "I even saw him holding a bunch of roses behind his back, on his way to math"

"Wow" I said simply; that was all I could say. I knew that Elizabeth had the guys in school practically drooling over her, following her in every direction that she took, considering I saw it mostly everywhere I went; but _Tyler Lockwood _giving her roses? That seemed like a step too far.

"I like this" I commented.

"Like what?" Jeremy asked, confused.

"We haven't spoke like this in a long time...it feels nice"

"Yeah, it does" Jeremy agreed.

"So, how are you and Vicki? Are you both getting on well?"

"Why? Coz I remember you saying that Vicki was a drug-using delinquent and that she was a bad influence on me" Jeremy smiled.

"I'm your big sister, Jer; I only say those things because I want to protect you"

"So...you don't really think Vicki's a drug-using delinquent?"

"No comment" I smiled.

_Knock, Knock, Knock_

"Okay, that'll either be Stefan or Elizabeth..."

_Knock, Knock, Knock_

"I'm coming!"

"Why shout from the kitchen? It's not like they can hear you"

"Trust me, Jer; you'd be surprised"

"Right then, I'll just head upstairs" Jeremy left the room and headed upstairs.

"Are you sure you don't need anything before you go up?" I called after him.

"Nah, I'm good"

After trying to smooth down my hair and make myself look more respectable, I headed for the front door. I even practised my smile; if it was Elizabeth, I would use a friendly, polite and pleasant smile. If it was Stefan, I would use the one I always saved especially for him.

"Okay" I whispered to myself. This was it.

I took a large deep breath and calmly opened the door...

**End of Chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 8 **

**A/N:**** This chapter is dedicated to the fab FrostedminiWheatz, whom without her; this story wouldn't have even been published.**

**Elena's POV**

"Hello Elena"

"Wow" I gazed at her in awe; there she stood, her hands crossed formally in front of her. Her long, wondrous brunette hair was curled neatly; the slightest move sent her locks dancing in time with her head as it nestled softly on top of her shoulders. Her black dress, short and yet oh so flattering; it hung to all of her curves perfectly, giving her the illusion of an hourglass figure. And finally the shoes; high, black stiletto heels...giving her the all too perfect height of a true lady. In a word, she looked _sensational_; even Damon would have dropped to his knees just at the sight of her.

"Thank you; do you like it?" Elizabeth asked, turning slightly from side-to-side; showing her dress from different angles.

"Like it? I love it! You look wonderful" I responded, completely awestruck.

"Well, I thought more appropriate dress wear would have been best for tonight"

"Can't argue with that" I smiled.

"So...are you going to let me in?" Suddenly, the fun moment had ended; this was the part of the night that I knew I feared the most. Elizabeth may be a kind, caring person at heart; but she was still a vampire. Stefan was right, there was such a thing as acting when it came to vampires; what if Elizabeth had been playing me all along, just so I could finally invite her into my home? I remember the look she gave me when I first met her...there was confusion and fear written all over her face; but there were also slight hints of anger and hate, like she was ready to rip off my head at any given moment. I know Stefan is somehow right about all of that, but this was a chance to actually think for myself and finally make my own decisions. If Elizabeth was playing me for a fool, at least I would have had the courage to make my own decisions for myself and not have had to rely on Stefan's opinions, than be the coward and always rely on him. Girls like me _need_ to be more independent in make-or-break situations; this of which, being one of them.

"Err...yeah, sure come in" I smiled, stepping aside to let her enter. Elizabeth looked around with a critic's eye.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena" She complimented pleasantly.

"Thank you" I spoke gratefully.

"You are so lucky to have a wonderful place like this to call home"

"Err...yes, I am lucky; thank you for taking notice"

"I see Stefan is not here yet" Elizabeth noted as we both stepped into the living room.

"He's on his way...he'll just be a few minutes" I assured her.

"Are you sure he's coming? It's not like him to trust me so easily"

"What makes you say that?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Well, its obvious Stefan doesn't trust me; I wouldn't expect him to come so he could speak to me in person, just to try and get along"

"I wouldn't worry about it; Stefan _is _coming, even if he's not doing it for you, he will _definitely_ do it for me"

"Stefan has his own mind, Elena; he has his own choices and decisions...he doesn't have to come if he doesn't feel the need to"

"Oh he will; because the way I see it, he only had two options according to this"

"And what were they?"

"Either he came here and tried to negotiate...or...he gets a one-way ticket to Dumps-Ville"

"Harsh"

"What else could I do? I want this town safe and I can't have the two of you and Damon distrusting each other; if we're going to make things work, we have to work together...especially with all the recent 'animal attacks'"

"Actually Elena, I was going to tell you about that"

"Tell me what?"

"I don't think I've actually told you about my 'dietary requirements' yet"

"And what are your dietary requirements?"

"I-I sort of...feed off...humans" She mumbled regretfully.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" My voice was now taking on an angrier tone.

"I'm sorry, Elena" She spoke apologetically. "I'm sorry...but I can't see an easier way to survive"

"Yes, you can...because there is; you could just feed off of animals, you don't have to waste innocent lives like that"

"Is that what Stefan does?" I nodded slightly.

"I guess I could try...but how does he do it? I know animal blood doesn't make him _as _strong as human blood does; especially with you being a constant temptation to him"

"Stefan said that?"

"I can see how he acts around you, Elena; jittery... like he has a frog in his throat all the time"

"I had no idea that he felt that way"

"Surely you must have noticed..."

"No" I said shaking my head. "I thought he was okay with it because of his self-control"

"Elena, he could have all the self-control in the world; human blood will always be an immense temptation for him"

_Knock, Knock, Knock_

"That'll be Stefan" I mumbled, leaving the room and heading for the door. I quickly opened the door.

"Stefan" I breathed.

"Hello, Elena; may I come in?" I looked at him; seeing Elizabeth made me wonder now why Stefan hadn't dressed in such formal attire, even though Stefan's clothing wasn't one of the main problems on my list right now.

"Yeah, sure" I murmured with a small smile, letting him enter through the door.

"Is Elizabeth here?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes, she's in the living room" I responded simply.

Once Stefan entered the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks; silence and immense tension filled the room. Even though I stood behind him, I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something; I would have done it myself, but this was a time for Elizabeth and Stefan to talk...all I could do tonight was stand back and watch it all unfold. If things got ugly, it would be obvious that I would have to step in at that point and then soon regret the whole dinner decision ever occurring in my mind.

"Hello Stefan" Elizabeth spoke formally. "You look well"

"So do you" Stefan responded simply.

"You know why I am here, Stefan; why we are _both_ here...I want this town safe just as much as you do and if something is getting in the way of that, then we must try by all means to overcome it"

"I couldn't agree more with you; although, you being here is obviously making that impossible"

"Stefan!" I scolded him.

"No Elena, he's right; besides, both of us came here to talk...speak our minds; isn't this what you've wanted?"

I remained silent; I knew from now until the end of the night, I had to keep quiet...otherwise I knew I'd say something that would eventually ruin everything.

"Why don't you sit down, Stefan? I have a lot to say, I'm sure you do too" Stefan obeyed and sat on the couch at the far end of the room, whereas Elizabeth sat on the couch at the opposite end of the room. I remained in the same position with my arms folded, waiting for either one of them to speak.

"I'm sure Elena has told you everything about me"

"See I don't get that; Elena may have told me about your past and why you're here, but there are still a lot of things that you've kept secret"

"What do you want to know?"

"There were supposed to be 27 vampires in the church back in 1864; you somehow happen to think that one person managed to escape, even though the fire was big enough to kill them in an instant...who were they? Why were they able to escape?" So Stefan didn't know about Katherine escaping; it instantly made me wonder whether Damon was just as clueless as Stefan was about her...Mind you, Damon was full of surprises and secrets.

"When I came back, I saw that the whole town was determined to rid itself of its supernatural element; I didn't know Katherine had got to both you and Damon until I saw her being dragged into the back of the cart and then...you tried to save her"

"Wait...you mean to say that _Katherine_ escaped from the church?"

"Wow, I guess it took a lot less explaining than I thought it would" Elizabeth mumbled, slouching on the couch.

"How do you know this?" Stefan asked seriously.

"When I saw Katherine being dragged into the church, I thought it all ended and that I was finally at peace; but soon I saw her again..."

"Where did you see her?"

"London, 1912"

"And she's been following you ever since?"

"She told me she'd follow me for an eternity and I can guarantee she's not going to stop any time soon"

"Great" Stefan spoke sarcastically, hanging his head. "Elizabeth, if she's still following you...then this is going to lead her here; which means you've put the entire town in danger just by being here"

_Knock, Knock_

"I'll get it" I offered, turning to head for the door. Once I opened it, I was greeted with a pleasant, yet mischievous smile.

"Hello, Elena"

"What are you doing here, Damon?" I sighed.

"Can't I come for a friendly visit into your home?" He asked innocently.

"No, I'm busy" I spoke firmly.

"Doesn't matter, I can just walk in anyway" Damon shrugged his shoulders and rudely pushed passed me.

"Hey, I didn't say you could come in!" I scolded him, slamming the door behind me.

"Is Stefan here?" Damon asked, completely ignoring what I had said.

"Yes, he's in the living room; but don't go in there" I warned him; but, like before...Damon had completely ignored me. He entered the living room, but I remained in the hallway...waiting for his reaction to Elizabeth being there; I knew he would have had a lot to say, even if he stayed quiet about it.

**Elizabeth's POV**

I waited patiently for Elena to come back after opening the front door; the tense atmosphere within the room unnerved me...my entire body was desperate to get away. Stefan now had his head down and hands clasped together in front of him, also waiting and listening for Elena to come back. I knew that the both of us felt somehow comfortable with Elena being there; it was even fair to say that if she wasn't, both Stefan and I would be at each other's throats...even if tonight was supposed to be about peace.

"Hello, Elena" My eyes widened at the familiar voice. He was here. If he saw me, I knew he would kill me on sight. I hoped that Elena wouldn't allow that to happen within her own home, considering she'd have so many family members to explain it to. But something about Damon told me-when I first spoke to him- that he was reckless, he simply wouldn't have cared if he killed anybody...including me.

Even though he had every reason to.

"Doesn't matter, I can just walk in anyway" I heard the sound of Damon's boots touching the laminate flooring; it would only be a matter of time before he would be able to smell me out. Stefan's head lifted slightly; he'd also sensed that Damon had entered and was about to enter the living room. My body was now tenser than ever; my mind was saying 'go', and yet my heart was saying 'stay'... but I'd left it too late to make a decision.

He'd already entered.

I thought that once he saw me as he entered the room that would have been it for me; all these years of running, the torture of the thought of being caught by Katherine and the regret of not being able to tell Damon how I felt would have all come to an end... but he remained calm – or from what I could tell-I was just deeply hoping that he didn't want to gaze into my eyes for the final time before he did turn to kill me.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He asked quietly.

"I was invited in, Damon" I spoke calmly, rising out of the chair I was comfortably sitting on until now.

"Damon, please don't start; Jeremy's upstairs" Elena warned lightly.

"I only came here to make peace, Damon" I explained.

"Bit late for that, don't you think?" Damon answered sarcastically; he glared intensely at me.

"This is my home, Damon; I came to make peace because I want this town safe...I don't want this to end a bloodbath we can't get away from"

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm not asking you to trust me...I just want to make peace and settle on a compromise; the only thing we can all agree on right now, is that we want the town safe..." I began.

"And for you to leave town and never come back..." Damon interrupted; his voice taking a serious tone.

"Damon..." Stefan warned.

"I can't do that...I told you, this is my home"

"Back in 1847 it was, but not anymore; you have no reason to stay, no-one cares enough to want you here...I know I don't" An ache developed in my throat; Damon had now shown me his true colours. I knew he had every reason to hate me and not want to see me, but this hurt me deeply; even more than when I saw him being shot back in 1864. Damon Salvatore to me was now well and truly dead; this person may have his name, but he is not him...not in the slightest. I quickly turned to Elena.

"Elena, thank you for having me tonight...but now I must go, I can obviously see that I am not wanted here any longer"

I knew Elena would have wanted to say something that would hopefully result in me staying there; but I couldn't over-stay my welcome, Damon – or whoever this was that stood in front of me – made that quite clear. But before I could leave, I just had one thing to say to Stefan.

"Stefan, I'm sorry that we couldn't resolve things in the way I hoped we would; I hope you know that" Stefan nodded, acknowledging my apology.

And then I left. It wasn't just a simple walk that any human would have done to make a quick getaway out of a home or to walk out of a door; I sped out before anyone could even think about acknowledging their thoughts and maybe even expressing them, slamming the door behind me as I left.

...

Tears streamed down my face when I slammed shut the door at my apartment; everything had ended and it was time for me to move on again. Damon was right; there was no need for me to be here. What was I trying to accomplish when I came back to Mystic Falls? To live a normal life? To see Damon whom I once thought was dead? I just had to get out of Mystic Falls for good and never come back. After I threw my keys onto the side table; I tearfully began to pack up my things, gazing at each little memento with a weak smile that reminded me of home and what used to be.

_Knock, Knock_

"Elizabeth, dear; it's Mrs Jenkins"

I hastily wiped away my fallen tears; Mrs Jenkins was the sweet landlord who was kind enough to give me this apartment. I got up from my knees and turned to switch the lights on... no such luck. I had to walk back to the front door in the dark.

"Forgive me, Mrs Jenkins; my lights aren't working so..." I began before opening the door; I frowned in confusion. Nobody was standing there...I was sure I heard her, unless I'm somehow going crazy. I sighed before closing the door once again and went straight back to my packing. Once I finished, I noticed the newspaper – which I hadn't bothered to read- lying on top of the side table. I hesitantly picked it up and flicked through the thin pages until I stopped at the page which I thought would have interested me the most.

_We, the townspeople of Mystic Falls, have recently welcomed a new citizen into our community; Miss Elizabeth Pierce. We hope that she has a wonderful and exciting time in our prosperous and thriving town._

I couldn't help but smile at this; they had no idea of the trouble I could have brought into the town. It was like Stefan said; being here was putting the entire town in danger, even if they -the citizens themselves- didn't know it. I knew from the start that coming here was a bad thing, but now I've been proven to be right...I just had to go. After throwing the paper back onto the table, I sensed movement. My body froze but my eyes and ear were on full alert; I slowly and hesitantly moved forward.

"Mrs Jenkins?" I asked allowed; there was no response.

"Who's there?" I asked; my voice low and nervous. I could smell them and I could sense them; it was now only a matter of time before the intruder would introduce themselves...

"Damon?" I knew it was ambitious; but I felt that there was the slight possibility that he would have shown up; even if it was to kill me.

Suddenly, I felt a hard sensation on my shoulders as I felt my entire body being pushed backwards; my body vibrated with the shock of it hitting the far wall with a thud. Before long, air was unable to get to my lungs; a firm, cold hand was wrapped around my neck restricting me of all luxuries of breathing. I heard a low, satisfied chuckle.

"Found you!" The voice teased menacingly with a slight giggle; I recognized that voice anywhere, my eyes widened in fear.

"K...Katherine?" I struggled to say, considering my air passages were being blocked.

"Hello, Sis"

**End of Chapter! **

**A/N:**** The link for Elizabeth's dress is on my profile; it's the last picture on the site x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Coming Home **

**Chapter 9**

**Elizabeth's POV**

"W-what are you...d-doing here?" I struggled to speak; Katherine's grip around my neck grew tighter as each second went by.

"I came to see my little sister" Katherine spoke innocently.

"G-go to hell" I growled.

"You know why I'm here, I told you; I'd always hunt you down...and there's nowhere you can run to"

"H-how did...you find... me?"

"Well I _was_ ready to give up, but the town of Mystic Falls is just oh so predictable; announcing your arrival like some celebrity...they just made it all too easy for me to find you"

"Y-you've found me...now, l-let me...go" I spoke, trying to order her. Katherine obeyed and I dropped quickly to the laminate floor on my hands and knees; air was now rushing into my body at such a rate, it made me choke.

"I'm bored" Katherine pouted, running her finger along the couch. "Finding you is a lot less fun than I thought"

"Where's... Mrs Jenkins?" I asked, now getting back my voice.

"Dead" Katherine smiled; that explained why she never showed up at the door.

"You've found me, Katherine...well done; now leave" I ordered, standing on my own two feet.

"Actually, I think I'm going to stay...I mean this is home after all; besides, you've been a very bad little girl"

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"You've been breaking poor Damon's heart" Katherine pouted sadly.

"Leave Damon out of this..." I warned her, ready to attack if she uttered another word about him.

"You've always talked big, Elizabeth; but I never thought you could actually hurt somebody, let alone _Damon Salvatore_"

"What is it to you? You've never cared about anyone apart from yourself"

"On the contrary, I care about Damon _very_ much...hurting him is supposed to be my job" Katherine giggled, satisfied with her statement. I lunged myself at her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her into the wall; my fangs bared.

"Don't you realise what you've done? Every life that's been around you...you've _destroyed_"

"And your point is?" Katherine asked, completely unaffected. I tightened my grip on her shoulders and pushed her against the wall for the second time.

"_Stay away_ from Damon; or I will _kill_ you"

"You're forgetting, little sis..." Katherine began, before pushing me into the opposite side of the room; I hit the wall and soon landed on the laminate floor, face-side down...the large picture frame on the wall landed on top of me. I felt Katherine move the picture frame off of me before she grabbed me by the neck, her fangs exposed as she gazed seriously into my eyes.

"I am _stronger_ than you...don't underestimate that; I can hurt Damon in any way I want to my heart's content...and not even you is going to stop me"

**Elena's POV**

"Thanks Damon, looks like you've got what you wanted" I spoke sarcastically, throwing the dinner I'd prepared into the bin.

"I don't know if you've noticed Elena, but I was only doing what was best for the town"

"You mean what was best for _you_" Damon was about to respond before I interrupted him.

"Look, I know you hate Elizabeth for what she did to you...but there was no need for what happened back there"

"Yes Elena, there was; her being here is putting the entire town in danger, meaning you as well"

"I have no objection to her being here, Damon; if she wanted to harm me, she would have done it already"

"How do you even trust her? She's only just come into town"

"Trust breeds trust, Damon; something I don't think you're capable of"

"Hey, if there's a reason as to why I should trust her then enlighten me"

"I don't have any reasons that will make you trust her, Damon; that's something you'll have to do yourself in your own twisted way"

"I could, but it's kind of hard looking for reasons when all the girl has done is destroyed my life"

"Well, maybe all this heartbreak will be good for you... at least it'll remind you that you _have_ a heart even though it doesn't beat"

I soon pushed past Damon, and exited the room; leaving him and his twisted thoughts alone.

...

"Stefan, would you mind looking after Jeremy? I need to go somewhere"

"Sure, err... what should I tell him if he comes down?"

"Just tell him I've gone to the store and that I'll only be an hour or so..."

"Are you? Going to the store?"

"No, I'm going to try and find Elizabeth...get this whole mess straightened out"

"Do you know where she lives?"

"It'll be somewhere just outside of town, but I'll find it...if I can't, I'll come straight back"

"Promise me, you'll be careful"

"I promise" I smiled, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

...

Elizabeth's place of residence wasn't hard to find, considering it was the only place that was closest to the town. It was a small, yet slightly tall building, which held at least 20 new, renovated apartments; it was obvious that Elizabeth would have taken up residence in at least one of them. Even when I entered the building, it was still remained obvious as to which apartment had belonged to her, considering the front door had been taken completely off of its hinges. I began to get worried as I quickly stepped over the door; had Elizabeth done this herself? Or had someone else done this because she'd somehow been taken or attacked? The entire front room looked as if it had been burgled; every inch consisted of things being broken and each piece taking a new position on the smooth laminate flooring; whoever did this, had surely meant business.

"Elizabeth? Are you in here? It's Elena" I called aloud. I looked around at different parts of the room, hoping that I would find her behind some large ornament or chair because she'd been cowering in fear...I wouldn't have blamed her if she did. Before long, I heard a low mumble from the far end of the room; it came from underneath a large frame that I guessed would have been previously placed on the wall.

"E-Elena?" A low voice spoke desperately.

"Elizabeth!" I ran towards the large frame, carefully stepping over small pieces of glass. I lifted the frame to see Elizabeth sprawled across the floor, weak and desperate... with her right arm heavily bruised.

"Oh my god, Elizabeth; what happened to you?" I asked worriedly, gently pulling her up.

"T-thank you, E-Elena" She responded gratefully, gasping for breath; I pulled her tenderly to the couch and carefully sat her down.

"What happened here?" I asked her.

"K-K-Katherine" Elizabeth gasped frantically.

"It's okay; Katherine's miles away, she can't touch you...you're safe" I placed my hand on her forehead.

"No...No...No"

"Shh, it's alright...I'm here; now, tell me what happened"

"K-Katherine...found...me"

"What?"

"Katherine... is...here"

"Oh my god"

"You have...to tell...Stefan...and Damon"

"I'm more worried about you"

"No...Just go; I'm... fine"

"I'm not leaving" I told her firmly; I placed my hand in my back jean pocket and grabbed my phone, then I dialled in a number.

"_Hello?" _Damon's voice sounded.

"Damon, I need your help; it's important...and get Stefan too"

...

"Urg, what happened here?" Damon said as he entered the room, kicking away pieces of broken glass.

"Elena, are you okay?" Stefan asked, coming towards me.

"Yeah, I'm fine; but we have more important things to deal with right now"

"Like what?" Damon responded, completely uninterested.

"Elizabeth was attacked, Damon"

"You dragged me all the way down here for that?"

"Damon, we don't have time for this" Stefan warned him lightly; he then went over and got onto his knees next to Elizabeth, whilst I did my best to comfort her.

"Elizabeth, what happened? Who did this to you?" Stefan asked her seriously; Elizabeth started to cry.

"Katherine...she...she found me" I looked at the expression on Stefan's face; his eyes had widened in shock more than surprise. Then, I looked at Damon; as usual he seemed completely unaffected by the whole situation, his face nor his body showed any expression as to what he felt...but I knew somewhere deep inside of him, he was secretly concerned and afraid about it.

"I knew her being here was going to put the entire town in danger...you_ knew_ Katherine was going to follow you everywhere you went and now look what's happened!" Damon spoke, frustrated.

"Wait...you already knew that Katherine wasn't in the church?" Stefan asked, frowning seriously.

"Minor detail...It was clearly on a need-to-know basis; besides, I didn't know that she and Elizabeth had still been playing hide-and-go-seek"

"Guys, it doesn't matter who knew what; what's important is how we're going to solve this and keep Elizabeth safe"

"Why _should_ we keep her safe? She's the one who started all of it by being here"

"Damon, not now...please"

"No, he's right; I was the one who started it, I shouldn't have come here" Elizabeth muttered, though it was mostly to herself.

"And what? Let Katherine finish you off until there's nothing left? I don't think so"

"So what are we going to do? We obviously can't let Katherine get her hands on the town as well as Elizabeth" Stefan asked aloud.

"I say...we either stake her...rip her head off...you know, something dramatic and painful" Damon said, smiling at the thought.

"Can you just be serious please for one minute?" I asked him.

"Who says I wasn't? Bitch deserves everything that's coming to her"

"No... I'm agreeing with Damon on this one, Elena; Katherine needs to be stopped and if killing her is the only way to stop her...then so be it"

"I get to stake her" Damon said, holding up his hand as if volunteering. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Well, I'm glad Damon's got the killing part covered...but we still need a plan to actually get her to come to us"

"I'll do it" Elizabeth volunteered. "Katherine has only come here for me...so I'll be able to lure her out and distract her long enough for you to kill her"

"Are you sure that's wise? Katherine could have killed you tonight...you shouldn't be able to put yourself in danger so easily" Stefan spoke, concerned.

"Stefan, I've been in danger since the moment Katherine was turned in 1847; I don't think a situation like this is going to make a difference"

"All I'm saying is that if you _do_ try and distract her and she somehow finds out why; she would kill you without a second thought...this is something that isn't worth risking and you need to understand how serious it is"

"I already know how serious all of this is...but I'm willing to do it; I want Katherine gone and if this is all I can do then I want to do it"

"But until we can actually get to that part, we need to keep an eye on Katherine; I mean she's not going to just come into town and not do anything..." Damon said, folding his arms casually.

"And how do we do that?" I asked him.

"Easy. Lay low for a while...act like everything's normal...then we kill her"

"But what if Katherine hurts innocent people? We can't have any more blood being shed"

"Then we'll act quickly; soon as Katherine shows up...we kill her...no harm done" Damon smiled, satisfied with his suggestion.

"I think it's worth a shot" Stefan agreed.

Before long, I nodded in agreement; this seemed like our best and only option. Katherine had to go and this looked like the only solution. I couldn't have more blood being shed because of another vampire in the town. It all had to come to a stop.

**Katherine's POV**

I was casually sitting at a table in the Mystic Grill, eating a salad whilst looking at various people who walked in and out of the restaurant. Coming back to Mystic Falls seemed a lot more disinteresting than I had first thought; sure, I'd found Elizabeth...but now there was nothing left. I just had to wait for some opportunity that would hopefully entertain me. But all I could do for now was sit in the restaurant and look at the customers walking in and out.

"So have you spoken to Elena, lately?" I heard a girl ask her friend; she had dark skin and brunette hair and she walking with her blonde haired friend to the furthest table.

"No, not for a few days...she's been hanging around with that new girl Elizabeth" I leaned forward, intrigued at what this girl had to say; from what I gathered, she seemed the bitchy type.

"I mean, who does this Elizabeth girl think she is? She blows into town... she has all the boys in school practically drooling over her...and then, she steals our best friend! We were here first Bonnie, and now Elena won't even see us anymore"

"Elena's just being friendly, Caroline; the girl's only just come into town, it'll all blow over in a couple of weeks"

"Yeah, I guess you're right; listen could you order us dinner? I'm just going to use the restroom" I watched as Caroline stood up from her chair and headed towards the far door that read:_ ladies_. As soon as the door closed, I made my move and followed in her footsteps. When I walked in, I saw Caroline with her head down as she washed her hands. I stood behind her, waiting for her to finish. After she turned off the tap, she lifted her head and looked at her reflection in the mirror; she gasped in shock when she finally saw me behind her.

"Oh my God, Elena...you scared me" I smiled as a response.

"I heard you talking about Elizabeth" I commented, as if I was scolding her.

"Actually I was going to tell you about that...you see..." Caroline began. I quickly grabbed her by the neck before she could finish, restricting her completely of any air.

"E-Elena...?"

"We haven't officially met...I'm Katherine Pierce" Caroline's eyes widened; she was desperate to scream.

"I have a message for you to give to my sister..." Caroline groaned as a response. I then began to lock eyes with her, she was now completely under my spell... to do my bidding.

"I'm not going to stop until this town rains blood...so game on" I then let Caroline go, causing her to drop quickly to the floor; she started to choke as the air began rushing into her lungs.

"It was nice meeting you, Caroline" I said, finally exiting the room.

**End of Chapter!**

**Next One Coming Soon xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 10**

**Stefan's POV**

"I see your back drinking the scotch" I noted as I sat on the couch. Damon took a sip from his glass as he leaned back against the desk.

"Can you think of anything better for me to do with my time?"

"Well, you could help me with the plan to kill Katherine"

"What's there to help you with? We lure her out...we stake her... then all's happy in Mystic Falls" Damon smiled.

"Okay...seeming as you've got that covered; we need a plan on how we're going to protect Elizabeth until we can get to Katherine"

"Pfft, you trust her enough to protect her now?"

"I didn't say I trusted her"

"Then why bother? We could just let Katherine take Elizabeth...problem can be solved either way"

"Because Elena wants her safe..."

"Since when has anything you've done _not_ been for Elena?" I remained silent for a while, until there was a subject that I knew I had to bring up.

"How did you know that Katherine wasn't in the church?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to...is that a problem, Damon?" Damon sighed dramatically and took another sip from his glass.

"If you must know, little brother; I heard Katherine discussing it with Emily...she wanted Emily to protect her with one of her _witchy_ spells when she got dragged into the church...thus resulting in her escape"

"So, she knew Father would take her to the church to be killed?"

"She must have done if she asked Emily to protect her; besides, it's doesn't matter...she's not going to live to see the end of the week"

**Elena's POV**

_Dear Diary, _

_Things have become worse. Elizabeth's sister, Katherine...has come back into Mystic Falls. I know what you'll be asking. What's the big deal? Well, here it is. Katherine was Stefan's, and I guess Damon's, ex back in 1864. She was the reason for both of them becoming vampires, considering she turned them herself. But that's not the problem. Katherine has twisted, deep-rooted drama with her sister that dates back to 1847 and now that she has found her again, I feel that Katherine will stop at nothing until Elizabeth is dead...even if she has to kill innocent people on the way. Stefan and Damon somehow seem to have it covered; they've concluded that as long as Katherine is alive, she won't be able to stop now that she's here. So... basically, in other words, they've decided to kill her..._

_But I guess there is some hope. It looks like Stefan is beginning to trust Elizabeth, and maybe even Damon too; although I'm not too sure about him. Damon seems...well, it's complicated. All I can say is that Damon is like a Rubix cube...nobody can figure him out. I'd try to do it myself, but I'm worried that if I do succeed in doing so...I know I'd regret it._

_Anyway, Jenna's let Elizabeth stay here for a while; so while she's here, she'll be sharing my room. She's still shaken up from Katherine's visit, but hopefully she'll calm down; I just hope this can all end soon so things can go back to normal._

I turned my head to the sound of my phone vibrating, notifying me that someone was calling. I quickly picked it up and pressed the answer button before placing it beside my right ear.

"Hello?" I answered.

"_Elena?"_

"Bonnie? What's wrong? You sound worried" I noted, concerned of the tone that showed on Bonnie's voice.

"_Elena, you need to get down here now...it's Caroline"_

"Why? What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"

"_I think it's best if you see for yourself...and bring Stefan and Damon"_

"Okay, I'll be right there"

...

_Knock, Knock, Knock. _

I knocked gently on the door to the Forbes' household; it wasn't long before the front door opened to reveal Caroline's Mum. You could tell by looking at her that she'd been crying; her eyes were blood-shot and underneath were dark circles.

"Can I help you?" She said, trying to fight back more tears.

"We're here to see Caroline" Stefan answered politely. Before long, she nodded.

"Yes, you can come in" She said, stepping aside to let myself, Stefan and Damon enter.

"Where is she?" I asked once all three of us were standing comfortably in the hallway.

"Caroline's upstairs; first door on the right" She informed. Soon, the three of us headed up the stairs and into Caroline's bedroom. Once there, I carefully opened the door. The atmosphere was enough to drive a person mad; inside the room, the curtains were closed and there was only minimal light seeping through. I could see Bonnie; still and unmoving as she continued to watch Caroline, who was now in a deep, peaceful-looking slumber. Bonnie turned her head and then rose from the edge of Caroline's bed.

"Thank God you're here" She spoke with relief.

"Bonnie, what's wrong with her?" I asked, looking at Caroline's sleeping body.

"I don't know...she, she seemed to be in some sort of...trance"

"Trance?" Stefan repeated with a frown.

"She looks fine" Damon commented, walking to the edge of the bed. Soon, Caroline started to mumble as she writhed and wriggled in the bed; at certain points, she sounded as if she were crying. Bonnie moved to her side and placed her right hand on Caroline's forehead.

"Does she look fine now?" Bonnie spoke sarcastically.

"It's okay, Caroline...you're fine; Elena's here now"

"_E-Elena?" _ Caroline murmured; her eyes closed.

"Yes, I'm here" I responded, moving so I was beside Bonnie. I frowned when I noticed that Caroline's eyes still continued to remain closed.

"Bonnie, why isn't she opening her eyes?" I whispered.

"If she opens them, she freaks out...like she has some sort of mental trauma; so, I'm keeping them closed for now"

"How long has she been like this?" Stefan asked.

"...Since yesterday; we were at the Grill and she went to the restroom, but when she came back...she didn't seem like herself"

"What could have caused it?" I asked aloud, mostly to myself. It wasn't long before Caroline started writhing again; however... this time, she started to scream.

"_No... please! Don't hurt me!_"

"Caroline, shh; nobody's going to hurt you" I said hurriedly, trying to calm her.

"_K-Katherine...I-I can't...breathe!" _My eyes widened as she mentioned her name.

"Oh my God" I said breathlessly.

"Wait...who's Katherine?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"Long story short...trouble" Damon responded grimly.

"Stefan, did Katherine do this to her?" I asked.

"She must have done; but what I can't understand is why she would go after her"

"I still don't get it...who's Katherine?"

"Katherine is a vampire...who is Elizabeth's sister"

"You mean Elizabeth Pierce?" Stefan, Damon and I nodded in unison.

"But it's more complicated than that; Katherine's come here for Elizabeth so she can kill her" I explained.

"_Elizabeth_" Caroline murmured. "_I have...I have to..._"

"You have to, what?" Bonnie asked.

"_...give...a...message" _Caroline responded.

"Who told you to?" Damon asked.

"_K-Katherine"_

"Caroline's under compulsion" Stefan said, folding his arms.

"What was the message?" Bonnie asked.

"_She...She's not going...to-to stop...until the...town...rains blood"_

"Is that it?" Damon asked; there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"_She...She said...g-game...on"_

"Oh p-lease" Damon scoffed. "You can just hear the desperation"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Katherine's desperate; she's only said that so we'll run scared"

"Right, but we're not" Stefan said seriously, agreeing with him.

"So what do you plan to do about it?" Bonnie asked.

"Easy. We kill her" Damon smiled.

"And Elizabeth?"

"We're going to protect her; she's at my house for now"

"And you're okay with this?" Bonnie asked me worriedly.

"I have to be. Otherwise Katherine could do something I know we'll all regret if nothing's done about it"

**Katherine's POV**

I could smell her. She was near. I was only hoping to walk along the street and that another opportunity would somehow arise...but this was better. The scent came from a house; it was a cream white and had a decent front porch. So this is where she'd decided to stay. Well, at least she had good taste. I adjusted my leather jacket before heading up the porch and pressed the doorbell. It was obvious that there was going to be an owner of the house; she wouldn't have been able to get in otherwise. I waited for a few seconds before the door opened. A blonde haired woman stood before me; she was dressed in a presentable dark grey, suit and skirt combination and wore black high heels.

"Elena? What are you doing outside?" Elena? Wait that was what Caroline called me. Was she her daughter? Or some other sort of relative?

"I don't know" I answered innocently. "I guess I needed fresh air"

"Dressed like that?" She asked, looking at my clothes.

"Well, you've left Elizabeth upstairs; I'd go and see to her, considering you were the one that begged me to let her stay" I nodded like a little child being scolded from taking a cookie. But inside, I was smiling. This was my invitation in... Going inside was something I was more than delighted to do.

"Sorry...I'll go and see her" I remained still; and the woman nodded slightly.

"Why are you dressed like that?" I asked, lifting my right brow.

"I'm going for an interview...I won't be back for an hour or two" She said before looking at the watch on her wrist.

"Why am I even standing here? I have to go!" She said hurriedly, rushing past me. I waited for a couple of seconds before she turned back to me.

"What are you waiting for? Go in" She urged. I smiled for the final time before slowly and hesitantly entering the house.

The smell of her got stronger as I entered the house; I could tell she was right upstairs. I laughed in my mind; I appreciated the effort, but I told her I would find her...there was nowhere for her to run...she just made it all too easy. I prepared myself, ready to walk up the stairs.

"Elena?" I heard a male voice call from what looked to be the kitchen.

"Yeah?" I answered. It wasn't long till a boy-about 15, maybe 16- stood in front of me. He wore tattered jeans with a t-shirt that read: School sucks. Typical, I thought; but there was something about him that seemed kind of cute. Maybe it was his rebellious nature that he showed from the way he wore that shirt...or maybe it was the way his hair was all... messy and dishevelled.

"Hello? Earth to Elena Gilbert?" He asked. So... this Elena girl was a Gilbert, huh?

"Sorry, err..." I hesitated.

"Jeremy?" He clarified with a slight smile.

"Yeah, err...you wanted me for something?"

"Yeah, I need you to take this upstairs" He said, leading me into the kitchen itself. When I stood comfortably in the kitchen, I began to look around. It was actually nicer than I first thought...well, I would have decided on something better; but this seemed nice enough. I then looked at Jeremy as he grabbed a large kitchen knife and began chopping some tomatoes.

"Do you want any help with that?" I asked innocently.

"No, you're okay; but you can take this upstairs to your friend"

"You don't come across as someone who cooks" I frowned.

"Well, I'm about to prove you wrong" He smiled, mostly to himself. There was now a quiet atmosphere in the room; all that was to be heard was the sound of the knife cutting through the cucumber, which Jeremy was now cutting.

"How's Elizabeth been?" I asked, walking towards him.

"Quiet" He responded simply. "It's weird...I mean, she acts like someone's going to kill her or something"

"What if she's not acting?"

"Now who would want to kill someone like Elizabeth?"

"Oh, I don't know; psychotic killer...member of her own family, perhaps" Jeremy laughed in response.

"Psychotic Killer, okay; but I think you've over-stretched it with the family part"

"Well, you never know; it's managed to happen before"

"You're weird, you know that?" He smiled.

"I know, but you still love me"

"You're my sister; do I really have any choice?" So that's who he was to Elena; I was beginning to think that he was her boyfriend...mind you, she could have done a lot better if he was.

"So...you and Elizabeth are pretty tight, huh?"

"Oh, yeah definitely...almost feels like we're sisters" I responded easily.

"Listen, why don't I finish that and you can do the dishes?" I offered, hinting towards the pile of dishes within the sink.

"Err...Do I look like I do dishes?"

"You don't look like you do cooking either" I laughed. He shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the sink. I waited until the sound of running water filled the room to carefully pick up the kitchen knife.

"Are you finished with that knife?" Jeremy asked me, his back still facing me.

"Yeah, sure" I said, a wicked grin spread across my lips; this was the opportunity I was so longing for.

The second Jeremy turned around to take the knife, I plunged it right into him. I could hear the sound of his organs vibrate with the pressure as I dug it further and further into his body; Jeremy collapsed to the floor in an instant.

"_E-E...Elena_?" He gasped for breath. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"That's what they all say" I muttered. Jeremy started to whimper as he stared at the knife sticking out of his body; there were times when he'd try to pull it out, but then he'd feel it too dangerous to even attempt it. I crouched down and gazed wickedly into his eyes; I took in a deep breath. Blood poured violently from his chest; he definitely smelled like a Gilbert. I smiled to myself; it was all too tempting, but I knew I had to resist. Jeremy's breath became more ragged as I grabbed the front part of his hair and I moved closer to his face; our lips just touching distance.

"If you survive this" I whispered. "I want you to give a message to Elena and her friend..._game on_"

As I stood up, I noticed a large pool of Jeremy's blood dramatically spreading across the kitchen floor; I looked at it in disgust when I came to find most of it was on my brand new high heeled boots. I was about to leave when I noticed a phone that had been left on the side; I grabbed it and looked through its contacts...I'd found what I wanted. When I rang the number, it went straight to voice mail... but I was more than prepared to leave a message.

**End of Chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 11**

**Elizabeth's POV**

The atmosphere was tense; the sound of various hospital monitors filled the air. I had to hold my breath; being here in the hospital was one of the worst places I could be. The smell of blood, it filled my lungs and tantalized my senses; the smell was enough to send even the strongest of vampires weak at their knees. My body shook slightly, constantly as I continued to wait for news; I was sitting at a row of chairs, with Damon and Stefan at either side of me...I'd never felt so nervous. The tension drove me mad; especially with having Damon next to me. But in a way it felt nice; I'd never been this close to him... without having him at my throat of course. I was just surprised that both of them hadn't killed me yet...but it was my fault. I was in the house when Jeremy had his accident; I should have noticed the smell of blood from downstairs. How could I have missed it? That question filled my mind for the next hour, constantly pounding in my head. It was the only way to drum out the sounds of patients crying and moaning in pain; if I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was a place of torture, rather than a place of healing. Now doctors and nurses –frantic- were rushing past us... coming and going from a room behind a set of double doors; everything was just so hectic, it was impossible to try and concentrate...to try and guess the situation in which they would have to solve.

To try and distract myself, I looked across at Stefan; his jaw was tightened as he stared at the cream wall in front of him. It looked as if there was something there that he was trying to read into. The look on his face was unreadable; but I could tell near enough what he'd be feeling. I didn't dare look at Damon; one look, and I was sure I'd be dead. But I could see his hands, calmly crossed in front of him; his ring, sitting proudly on the finger of his left hand. I'd only come to notice it just now; the lapis lazuli stone, with the Salvatore family crest on top. Yes, the crest; I knew it well. I remembered it from my days back in the Salvatore house. It was embedded in wood, in the main walls of the mansion; Giuseppe Salvatore was proud to show it off. Because that was what he was. Proud. He had dignity and strength and there was a fire about him that made him even more proud to be a Salvatore.

I stopped instantly.

Thinking about the past would always bring me back to Damon and the fact that I was sitting right next to him. I sank further into my chair; depression filled me to the brim. I could just leave right now, not thinking about the consequences that waited behind me; but I felt some sort of force, keeping me within my seat - which was now starting to numb me. It was like both brothers were keeping me here, that's why they were sitting either side of me... to keep me prisoner; so that if I did make a run for it...they'd grab me instantly. I sighed lightly and began to twiddle my thumbs; this was going be a long night. Soon, I was alerted to the sound of the set of double doors opening and closing for the final time. There Elena stood, with a long red coat in hand and tears streaming down her face. Stefan and Damon rose up from their seats, but somehow I still felt the force keeping me remained in the seat.

"How is he?" Stefan spoke lightly, sympathetically. Elena wiped a fallen tear from her face.

"He's just got out of surgery; the knife only just missed his heart" It wasn't long before Stefan pulled her into a loving embrace and Elena burst into tears.

"It's okay, it's okay" Stefan whispered comfortingly.

"Where's Jenna?" I found myself asking her. Elena pulled away from Stefan and wiped her face again.

"She's on her way; she had some interview and now she's stuck in traffic" A look of realisation spread across Elena's face. She dug her hand into her coat pocket before pulling out a mobile phone.

"Which reminds me, Jenna must be going crazy..." She said mostly to herself, looking through her phone. "Look, she must have tried to get through to me...she's left a voice mail" Elena pushed another button on her phone before pressing it against her ear. As she waited to listen to the voice mail, she moved further down the corridor for some privacy. I sat up in the chair as I tried to listen to the message; I could tell from the look on Stefan's and Damon's faces, that they were doing the same; but the message was too low even for me to hear and I guessed it was the same for them too. All heads soon turned to the sound of Elena's phone hitting the smooth hospital floor; she was frozen... her right arm remained in place, as if she were still listening to her phone. Finally, I was able to rise from my seat. I ran to her...tears streamed, her face was filled with shock, surprise and fear, but most of all fear. Stefan shook Elena gently, trying to snap her out of whatever it was she was in.

"Elena? What is it? What did you hear?"

I quickly looked over at Damon, who bent down and picked up the fallen phone. He pressed a button, and we all waited to hear the dreaded message.

_Hello, Elena._

_I see you've received my little surprise. Don't worry, he'll survive...I've made sure of that. I know you've been hiding my sister...but I told her I'd always find her. It just goes to show the things that I can do if anyone double-crosses me. So I wouldn't try anything in the future... because if you do, I will kill everyone you've ever cared about, starting with Jeremy and the rest of your family._

_Give Elizabeth my regards._

Damon pressed a button, ending the message.

"Oh my god" I spoke breathlessly. I soon realised that tears were now beginning to stream down my face; what had I done? How come I never noticed her?

"Elena..." I began. But she soon stopped me.

"It's not your fault Elizabeth...none of this is your fault"

"But..." I protested.

"No. This has only happened because we weren't quick enough...we were too busy waiting for an opportunity to kill Katherine, that we missed what was really important...and now Jeremy's suffered because of it"

"But I should have noticed her! I would have sensed her in the house!" I persisted in protesting.

"Yeah, but you didn't" Damon retorted, glaring at me seriously.

"Now's not the right time, Damon" Stefan spoke, looking at his brother.

"Yes it is, Stefan; now is the _perfect _time; if Katherine was in the house and attacked Jeremy, she would have been able to sense her _and_ the blood...so why didn't she?"

"And you don't think I want to know the answer to that?" I responded, folding my arms in frustration.

"Well, don't you...know the answer?" Damon asked, irritation now spreading across his face.

"No!" I spoke defensively.

"Guys, please! There's only so much of this I can take" Elena interrupted, her eyes closed and her face showing exhaustion. She sighed deeply as she sat on one of the chairs on the side of the corridor.

"We can't kill Katherine" She said finally, her head hung.

"What? What do you mean we can't?" Damon responded.

"You heard what Katherine said, Damon; if we double-cross her...she'll kill everyone I care about"

"Elena, if we don't stop Katherine; she could slaughter the whole town" Stefan spoke seriously.

"So my family doesn't mean anything? Is that what you're saying?"

"If Katherine's not stopped, she'd be able to kill your family either way" Damon responded grimly.

"What Damon meant to say was..." Stefan began; but Elena shot straight out of her seat before he could finish.

"No; what you both meant to say was that my opinion doesn't matter, because you will be making decisions for me...but I can't take this anymore. I'm making my own decisions about this..." Elena stormed off to the set of double doors from which she had entered.

"Oh really? And what are the decisions that you want to make?" Damon called after her. Elena stopped in her tracks, but she never turned.

"I've decided I'm not going to do anything; I don't want to piss Katherine off any more than I already have" And with that, she exited through the doors.

"Elena's right; we can't kill Katherine" I spoke finally.

"Who said you were involved in any of this?" Damon responded.

"Well, considering Katherine is my sister; I think it makes me pretty much involved as the rest of you"

"We need to think of a way were we can't double-cross her; but we still get to kill her" Stefan concluded, mostly to himself.

"You're still going ahead with this?" I asked him, surprised.

"Nobody said we were stopping" Damon responded, a smile creeping up his lips.

"But what about you, Stefan? Don't you usually listen to Elena?"

"Yes, Stefan; don't you?" Damon spoke, mimicking my words; a slight rush of anger surged through me. Stefan never responded; instead, he sat on one of the corridor chairs, two down from where Elena had been originally.

"So how do we kill Katherine without double-crossing her?" I found myself asking; I'd never expected myself to accept defeat.

"We need to catch her off guard; get her in a place she won't expect us to take her into"

"Well, there is the Founder's ball coming up" Damon suggested. Stefan looked at him; I could see the doubt in his eyes.

"It's perfect; she won't expect us to kill her at a crowded event" Damon persisted.

"Okay, we'll do it" Stefan accepted, nodding slightly.

"How do you even know Katherine's going to show up?" I asked.

"Because _you'll_ be there..." Damon answered.

"And what makes you think I'll go?"

"You will; because you'll go even if I have to drag you there myself" Damon flashed a smile, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Although I hated the thought of going, in the aim to kill Katherine; I somehow liked the thought of him dragging me. At least I would have been important enough for him to even _think_ of taking me there.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Damon; but Katherine is the problem here, not trying to get _me_ to go to some...stupid party"

"Who says I'm _trying_ to get you there?" Damon glared. "Because you _are _going, and I'm going to make sure of it"

"Hey; at this rate, if you two keep acting like this...we'll have no chance of getting Katherine" Stefan spoke with authority. "So whatever it is that's going on between the two of you...put it behind you, now"

"Yeah, not going to happen" Damon responded, still glaring in my direction. Before long, he quickly turned away and exited through the set of double doors; leaving Stefan and me with our thoughts.

"Please excuse Damon; he can be..." Stefan began.

"No" I interrupted. "He has every right. Stefan, I was his friend back in 1847; he put his trust in me...and I betrayed that. He's hurt, by what I did to him; and asking him to forget the past and put it behind him, is not something you should be asking him to do"

"I know... I was like you" Stefan spoke grimly. "Damon and I were best friends, before we were turned...but I betrayed him. He put his trust in me and I betrayed him"

"How so?" I asked.

"Damon...was _blinded_ with his love for Katherine; he told me, not to tell father...about her and what she was..."

"But you did?" Stefan nodded regretfully.

"I thought I could see...compassion and understanding, within my father; something I thought...he could show, if I told him about the vampires"

"Stefan, telling a vampire hunter not to hunt a vampire...is like telling a cat not to chase a mouse"

"But I was stupid" Stefan continued. "Father caught Katherine...and ever since then...Damon's hated me for it"

"He's hurt, Stefan; there's a difference. Damon just needs to...give out his trust more carefully; because we were both stupid enough to waste it"

"I just can't help but wonder, what things would have been like...if I hadn't have told father..."

"Well, you wouldn't be here for a start..." Stefan chuckled. I paused before managing to speak again.

"Listen, Stefan; there's no reason for the both of us to distrust each other...I mean, we're on the same side, and we're a lot similar than you think. Damon may not be able to put the past behind him, and maybe I can't too...but I know we can put whatever distrust we have towards each other, behind us" I waited tensely, hoping that Stefan would see sense and accept my offer; I relaxed instantly the moment he nodded.

"So is this it? Everything's behind us?" I asked expectantly. Stefan nodded for the second time.

"Yes; if we want to kill Katherine...then we must put everything behind us. We can't let anything jeopardise our chances"

**Elena's POV**

"Elena? You're allowed to see your brother now" A nurse notified me. I rose from my seat and wiped the tears from my face; Jeremy almost died tonight and it was all my fault. I should have foreseen what Katherine would have done because I'd let Elizabeth stay in my home; how could I have been so stupid?

"Are you ready?" The nurse asked, ready to lead me to his room. I nodded slightly and followed her down the corridor. Once we stopped, the nurse pointed to the door.

"He's very weak; but you can still talk to him...I'll leave you to it, then" She spoke with a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you" I spoke hoarsely; the nurse nodded and turned to walk away. I gulped before carefully twisting the doorknob, with coat in hand. The room welcomed me to the sound of Jeremy's heart monitor and the sight of his weak, sleeping body on the hospital bed. My heart bled as I gazed upon him; his body was wrapped in various wires that were strangely connected to the heart monitor. It beeped constantly and I smiled slightly to the sound; it was a sign to say that he was still alive, and that... was music to my ears. I remembered the car crash; when our parents went over Wickery Bridge, with me and Jeremy still in the car. I was sure I was going to die that night, and I knew Jeremy felt the same. I remembered when we were rescued; Jeremy had been in a worse condition than me, but we were both sent to the hospital. I sat down on the leather chair that waited for me beside Jeremy's bed. Our parent's were pronounced dead on arrival after the crash. I was able to walk after the first few hours, but Jeremy was still bed-ridden. I'd had to tell him of our parents, that they were gone and they weren't ever coming back. A lump formed in my throat; I felt the same tenseness and hesitation to speak as I had back then. It felt like I had to tell him all over again. I slowly reached for his hand; it felt cold under my touch. I rubbed it gently with my thumb, trying to warm it. A large part of me was still back in the past; _Please_, I begged, closing my eyes. _Please don't make me say it to him again_.

I felt one of Jeremy's fingers twitch underneath my hand; all my senses were alerted to focus on this moment. A tear streamed down my face, which I instantly wiped with my free hand.

"Jeremy?" I whispered to him; both my hands were now softly wrapped around his as I waited for more signs of his awakening. I looked expectantly at his face; there were now gentle signs that he was sure to wake up.

"Jeremy?" I whispered again. "It's Elena, Jeremy; I'm here..." I continued to gaze at his face; his eyes now flickering slightly, opening and closing...he was ready to awaken. I practised my smile as I waited. I wanted it to be the first thing his eyes would gaze upon...a welcoming, loving smile; that showed him, he was always loved.

Soon, his eyes gradually began to open; his eyelids moving back further and further. Confusion spread across his faced as he stared at the cream ceiling; blinking every now and again.

"Jeremy?" I whispered for the final time; Jeremy turned his head to look at me and I flashed him my smile.

"_E-Elena_?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"Yes, it's me" I replied; tears now streaming down my face. "You had quite an accident back there"

"_W-Where's...Mum...and Dad?"_ He asked worriedly. Shock spread across my face. _Oh no, please,_ I begged;_ Please don't make me say it!_

"Jenna's on her way" I told him, trying to avoid the answer. Soon Jeremy began to cry, tears cascaded down his face; I stood up from my chair as I tried to comfort him.

"Shh, it alright" I whispered gently, kissing his forehead.

"_She... hurt me"_ He whimpered; I knew he was hinting towards Katherine. Fury surged through my body like a disease, my eyes white-hot from the anger.

"Nobody's going to hurt you, anymore" I assured him, anger showed clearly through my voice.

"_She...looked like...you, Elena" _

"She's not me, Jer; I would never do _anything_ to hurt you...you're my brother" I broke down at my last words. Katherine had hurt him deeply; he was on the brink of destruction. Now the only thing I wanted to do was kill her; Damon and Stefan had been right from the beginning. Katherine had to die; it almost made me wish that...I was a vampire myself, just so I could _rip _her throat out and all it would leave was a bloody mess. I wanted her to experience the torture she has put on others, not just to me...but to all the people I care about; Jeremy, Jenna, Caroline, Bonnie, Elizabeth, Stefan...Damon. It all has to stop! Katherine could threaten me as much as she wanted to with her words, but that wouldn't stop me; she's caused enough pain for me to want to kill her myself.

"_Promise?" _Jeremy asked. I wrapped my arms around him, as if nothing would hurt him...which it wouldn't.

"I promise, Jer; nothing will hurt you again...I'll make sure of that"

**End of Chapter!**

**A/N:**** Next Chapter will be the Founder's Ball, just to let you guys know! And I'll post pics of all the outfits on my profile Please, R&R and let me know what you think ;-)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Coming Home**

**A/N: ****Here it is! The Founder's Ball chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Btw, pictures of the outfits and hairstyles will be displayed on my profile.**

**Chapter 12 – Part 1**

**Elena's POV**

"So...why are you asking me to do this?" Bonnie asked, sitting in the centre of my bed.

"Because Katherine needs to be stopped, Bonnie; she almost killed Jeremy, I don't want any other person to suffer the same fate or even worse. Besides...we need a witch on our side tonight"

"Who do you mean by 'we'?"

"Elizabeth, Stefan, Damon...and me" I answered clearly.

"Great; more vampire problems" Bonnie spoke sarcastically.

"Bonnie, this isn't just a...vampire, problem; all of this depends on the safety and security of the entire town" I spoke seriously.

"Alright! I get it...so, what are you wearing for the ball?" She asked quickly, completely changing the subject.

"I have more important things to think about, Bonnie" I sighed.

"Oh, so...you wouldn't mind if we arrived in bin-bags?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, I do have something to wear" I smiled. I walked along to the closet on the opposite side of the room and opened the door; once open, I grabbed my outfit that was carefully wrapped in a protective plastic cover. I handled it with great care as I continued to move it further out of the closet, due to its size.

"Here" I said, presenting the dress to Bonnie; her eyes widened as awe and amazement spread across her face.

"_Wow_"

**Stefan's POV**

I sighed deeply as I looked at my reflection in the mirror; tonight was the night, I thought to myself. Tonight was the night we were finally going to be rid of Katherine. All those years of torment...all those years, crippled by her 'death'... and the destruction she'd left behind. All of that now, was going to come to an end...

But I wasn't ready.

Even after all the years of wanting Katherine dead; wishing I could drive a stake through her myself. I'd wanted to_ pierce_ her skin and organs as the stake would dive further...and further into her body; I wanted her to_ feel_ all those years of destruction...in one strike. But right now, all those visions I'd conjured -wishing they would come true- were actually going to happen. I never thought I'd see the day. I know I should be overjoyed at the thought; to know, I would have the chance to make her feel the pain she'd inflicted on so many others. But there was something holding me back. Was it cowardice? Was I actually that scared, even though I was brave enough to conjure those visions? Or...was it love? Did I still feel something for her, so much so...that I was willing to forget some of my hate for her? No! I know it isn't love. I have nothing but _hate_ for her...and nothing would ever change that. I would do it. I would drive that stake through her heart and let her know that I hated her...more than the life I am condemned to live, for eternity.

As I slipped on the jacket to complete my outfit; I contemplated the possibilities of tonight. Would we do it? Would we actually be able to kill Katherine? It seemed most likely; but there were the consequences...if we couldn't succeed.

"Look at you, all smart" Damon complimented sarcastically. I turned away from the mirror; Damon was already dressed in his formal attire for the evening. He stood in a calm and collected stance, his hands deep within his trouser pockets.

"You ready to do this?" I asked; a slight hint of nervousness showing in my voice.

"Stefan, I was _born_ ready" Damon spoke confidently. I smiled weakly and turned my head away; I'd always admired Damon for his courage and confidence. It was something I'd always tried to find in myself, even as a human; but I never really found anything. I was nothing compared to him.

"I know that look" Damon said; noticing the doubt within my face.

"What look?" I spoke innocently, shrugging my shoulders.

"You're scared; I can _smell_ the fear coming off of you"

"Who says I'm scared?" I turned to walk away, but Damon soon appeared in front of me.

"Hey, don't back down on me now" Damon said, his hands tightly grabbing my shoulders. "That woman _destroyed_ us...she made us live through hell! Now we can return the favour" Damon's voice soon turned into a whisper. I looked away; I couldn't look him directly in the eyes. So I nodded in agreement.

"Okay" I whispered weakly. I wasn't sure who I was trying to fool with that comment.

"Hey, I got your back tonight...brothers till the end" Damon assured me; his grip upon my shoulders tightened, showing he'd meant what he said. I nodded for the final time before Damon patted me on the back.

"I'm guessing you're taking Elena with you tonight?" Damon spoke casually whilst looking at the mirror, fixing himself.

"Can you imagine it otherwise?" I replied. A satisfied smile appeared on Damon's lips. Oh right, stupid question, I thought. Of course he could imagine it another way.

"So who are you taking?" I asked, still keeping to the subject.

"Think I'll fly solo tonight" Damon responded quickly without thinking.

"You could take Elizabeth" I suggested. Disgust was now spreading across his face as he contemplated my suggestion.

"Why would I wanna take her?"

"Because...we need her; and, she needs...someone to accompany her"

"And you just happened to ask me?" Damon spoke sarcastically.

"Well, yes; I think it's time that the two of you got along...and, taking her to the ball seems like...a perfect opportunity"

"Yes, Stefan; because killing an evil slut vampire is a _great _way to break the ice..."

"All I'm asking for...is for you to take her; we need to pair up and stick together anyway if we're gunna have any hope of killing Katherine"

"Sure" Damon finally accepted. "But don't expect things with Elizabeth to go smoothly" He warned.

**Elizabeth's POV**

I smiled to myself as I walked through a sea of people; displaying happy, cheerful faces. The sound of gossip being spread and laughter filled the air; it was music to my ears. It had been years since I last came to an event like this; and I was beginning to enjoy it already. I stopped for a while just to look at the grand house that was, the Lockwood Mansion. Back in 1847, the Lockwood's didn't have much land, compared to what they have now. They were like royalty in this town now; whereas years ago, they were just a small part in the machine that founded the prosperous town which is Mystic Falls. I just couldn't wrap my head around how popular they had become. All around me, there were bright flashes of colour; girls from all over the town coming here to flaunt their beautiful, elegant dresses. Colours included reds, golds, blacks, whites...it was as if I was gazing into the Technicolor wonder that was a kaleidoscope. It was events like these that made me proud that I was from Mystic Falls. I then continued to walk through the crowds, hoping I would find someone familiar. Elena had told me she would be here, and that she would bring her witch friend Bonnie too; we needed a witch on our side tonight if we were to kill Katherine. My head started to spin; to think, the freedom I would have...if we finally got rid of Katherine. All those years of torture, running, hiding from a vicious demon I once called sister...all of it would come at an end. I could travel the world; I could finally see the beauty that our world had become. Whilst I was running from Katherine, I would always go to new places; I'd take in my surroundings, but I wouldn't really look... to really appreciate the wondrous things nature had to offer, but soon, I could do it for real. My head was now filled to the brim, filled with such amazing ideas and possibilities; I could do anything, I won't have a care in the world; but it can't happen just yet...I could only do it, as soon I was guaranteed my freedom.

I turned my head to the sound of children's laughter. There played a beautiful little girl, dressed in an elegant gold gown, with beads embroidered along it; her hair... brunette sausage curls, wrapped neatly in a gold ribbon. She was giggling; you could see the childhood innocence in her face when she smiled; I frowned. There seemed something familiar about her; the way she laughed, the way she smiled...how she dressed. She reminded me of when I was around her age, happy and carefree. I remembered when I was invited to the first Founders Ball; I'd dressed in something similar to the little girl, and I had my hair in a similar fashion...but all I did was play. I didn't particularly enjoy conversations of the adult world; so I would slip away with Damon onto the front yard, in the light of the moon... and we'd play child-like games. As if on cue, a small little boy -who looked around the same age as the girl- began to chase her. He was dressed in a miniature suit and his dark, brunette hair was slightly slicked back. The girl laughed as the boy continued to chase her; he would always be a centimetre away before the girl would quickly move, escaping his grasp. I sighed depressively. That was the good old days; But Damon and I were grown up now, practically over a century old. I knew there was nothing we felt within us that could lead us back to that familiar friendship we once had.

That part of us was dead.

"Elizabeth!" I heard a familiar female voice call me. I turned slightly to face Elena as she slowly walked towards me; I gazed at her dress with interest. It was an exquisite royal blue, with tiny intricate white flowers embroidered in a pattern along the top and bottom of the strapless corset; large neat ruffles cascaded outwards from the corset creating the effect of the perfect ball gown and her hair, curled beautifully and was wrapped tidily to come to rest comfortably along her right shoulder. In a word, she was sensational. I then looked across to her witch friend Bonnie, who'd come to stand calmly beside her. Bonnie's dress was completely different compared to Elena's, in size as well as colour. Her dress - from the corset down - cascaded only slightly, with tucked in layers, first black then white. The corset itself was white, but was covered in black horizontal stripes with branch and leaf patterns in the middle of each one; and her hair, wrapped tightly into a pretty ballerina bun. I smiled pleasantly at the both of them.

"You both look wonderful" I complimented.

"Well, if we're gunna kick Katherine's ass; better to do it in style" Bonnie responded confidently. I smiled, but it disappeared more quickly than it came.

"Are you guy's ready for this?" I asked doubtfully.

"Of course we're ready to do this" Elena spoke seriously. "She's hurt too many people; it has to stop...tonight"

"But it could be dangerous..." I said, trying to protest.

"There's nothing you can say Elizabeth; besides, you were the one who wanted her gone more than the rest of us"

"That doesn't meant to say you can get yourselves killed..."

"You know, your faith in us is a little insulting" Bonnie smiled.

"Listen, Stefan and Damon want us to meet them inside; we should get going" Elena informed.

...

Once we were inside the mansion, we were in hot pursuit of Stefan and Damon. All of tonight's guests were now located in the ballroom and were slowly dancing to classical music. I was back in 1847 again; the rooms, the decorations, the music, the dancing...all of it transported me back into a world I once knew. I felt like a little girl again. As I continued with the search, the sound of children caught my ear's attention. I turned to see the little boy and girl still chasing each other; they were laughing and giggling in the hallway. I frowned and turned away, eager to escape the memories that were coming to me as I watched them. After a while, my search with the girls was over; I could see Stefan in the far corner; he blended in perfectly with the crowd. He wore a modernised silver waistcoat with a dark black suit combination, and his hair wonderfully kept and stylised; he looked every bit the gentleman. But it was then that I saw Damon standing next to him, as calm and collected as Stefan was, with both hands nestled deep in his trouser pockets. It took every ounce of me to keep my jaw from dropping. Much like Stefan, he wore a modernised grey waistcoat with a lighter black suit combination and his hair was dishevelled, curling in certain places to show off the true masculinity in his face. I smiled; when I looked again, I saw him. That sweet, innocent little boy I'd met back in 1847. He stood there; still looking in the same direction as his older self...he even wore the same suit. I could see nobody else, apart from him; I desperately wanted it to be real...I wanted to run to him, and hold him in my arms, to keep a strong grip on my vision. But I was completely frozen, it was like he held me there...right in that one spot. All I could do was gaze and hope that my fantasy would stay. Then, Damon turned his head to look straight at me; I could feel his stare pierce the very fabric of my soul.

**Damon's POV**

I had no words to describe her; no word known to man could have possibly described her beauty. Her dress...almost like the colour of blood; from her waist down, layers of ruffles flowed outwards and landed comfortably along the smooth marble floor. Small clusters of pearls were stitched magnificently in various areas on the upper part of the dress; and her hair, short but curved at the ends. In one word, she looked... perfection. For a moment, I saw her as her 8yr old self; it felt like 1847 again. She stared at me, looking into my eyes as I was with her; I could see the child-like innocence in her face...No! I shook the image from my mind, and there Elizabeth stood once again as her older self. Every time I looked at her, I was instantly reminded of what had happened, the things she had done...the things her sister had done. I was put through hell. Having those images in my mind was a sign that I was weak, I was letting her control me. If I let one thing control me, there would be plenty of room for other things to follow. It was like the devil, taunting me and luring me in with her very presence; there would be times, when I would want to stay strong...but I felt weak almost instantly. I _had_ to give into the temptation. But for now, I have to remain strong; I have greater things at hand.

**Elizabeth's POV**

"Hello, Damon; you look...smart" I spoke politely.

"You're not too bad yourself" Damon spoke with disinterest.

"Are we all set?" Elena asked.

"Yes. All we need to do is find her" Stefan responded.

"How do we even know she's here?" I asked.

"We don't" Damon replied, a quick smile appeared on his lips.

"Someone needs to lure her out" Bonnie said. "If she _is_ here, we need to lure her out into the open, so we can get to her"

"I'll do it" I offered. "But I'm going to need help" I then looked at Damon.

"Why me?" Damon asked; his face completely expressionless.

"Do you want Katherine lured out or not?" I argued.

"Fine...What's the plan?"

"You'll see" I said simply, stretching forth my hand so that Damon could take it. For a while, he stared at it confusedly, unable to know what to do. I could see the expression on his face; he looked calm and accepting...but he also looked scared. It had been years since Damon had last taken my hand; I could still imagine the softness of his fingertips as they would gently caress it, before finally wrapping themselves around it, thus creating a strong bond between us. But like I said, that was years ago; there was no way it would have the same effect now. Finally, Damon nodded and took my hand. As his fingertips touched my palm, the sound of the two children had disappeared. There was no more laughter. I turned my head slightly to discover that they were no more, they had completely disappeared; like they'd never existed at all. Were they just a figment of my imagination? Could I have actually seen myself and Damon as children, playing as we once had? Was I that crazy? I took a slow, deep breath and led Damon into the direction I was hoping of heading. As we were about to enter the ballroom, Damon stopped in his tracks.

"Where are you going with this?" He whispered seriously; I never replied. I couldn't answer him, because I didn't have one. The plan was...lure Katherine out into the open, with me as bait. And I was doing that; but there was something else that seemed to attract me to this place, above all the others. I had no idea of what I was doing.

"I...I don't know" I finally answered. Damon pulled me back in an instant; he glared at me intensely.

"Listen, if you're not going to take this seriously, you might as well go home...or better yet, pack your bags" I turned my head to look into the ballroom. Classical music continued to play as the guests danced slowly with their partners; it was enchanting. The colours of the gowns, colliding as partners crossed each other's paths. Soon, the music had stopped and the dancing had ended; everyone was now clapping, applauding the orchestra for their breathtaking symphonies. It was then that I tenderly grabbed Damon's hand and led him in the crowded ballroom. As we entered the room, an attractive middle-aged woman stood on the small stage and the orchestra began to play their next song; after a short while, the woman started to sing.

_I'm dying to catch my breath,_

_Oh why don't I ever learn?_

_I've lost all my trust now I'll surely try, to turn it around._

"How is this going to lure Katherine out?" Damon whispered, as we both stood in the middle of the dance floor. All the other guests were now standing around the perimeter of the room, ready to watch our special moment; all of their eyes were now locked onto the both us.

"It won't" I whispered simply; both Damon and I honoured each other with a small bow before the dance officially began. First, we began lifting our right hands and circled each other, as if we were both looking in a mirror; then we did the same with our left hands, circling each other in the opposite direction.

_Can you still see the heart of me?_

_All my agony fades away, when you hold me in your embrace_

As the beat of the music picked up, the both of us moved closer, to embrace each other for the rest of the dance. Damon had his arm wrapped tightly around my waist as we danced slowly towards other parts of the dance floor.

_Don't tear me down, for all I need_

_Make my heart a better place; give me something I can believe_

_Don't tear me down; you've opened the door now,_

_Don't let it close. _

Halfway through the song, the other guests joined in. I couldn't help but gaze at Damon, at this moment. His eyes...so blue; they were like the skies of heaven. I could see various emotions within his face; there was calmness...but there was also, confusion and doubtfulness.

_I want to believe that this is for real,_

_Save me from my fear,_

_Don't tear me down..._

Soon, the room was filled with applause and at that moment, my dance with Damon had ended. The woman on the stage gladly thanked the gratitude she was receiving from the crowd and took a short bow before leaving. Then, as if on cue, the rest of the guests exited the room. I felt a sudden chill run down my spine as Damon whispered coldly into my ear.

"Try anything like that again, and I will _end you_..." He warned. My eyes widened as I stared into the crowd that had almost finished leaving the room...I saw her. She stood there, just staring at me whilst guests continued to walk past her. She towered over most of the guests as she wore a long gold dress with white laced flowers along the top half of it; her hair slightly uplifted and the rest came cascading down her shoulders. I looked away for a split second, hoping that it was just my imagination; but when I looked back, she'd gone completely.

"Damon" I whispered. "She's here"

"Right, we'd best notify the others"

**To be continued...**

**A/N:**** The song used in this chapter was 'All I need' by Within Temptation. Oh, and I apologize for my lame descriptions of the dresses. Once you see the actual dresses, you'll see how hard it was to describe them. The second part to this chapter will be coming soon; I just wanted to use this first part to be focused on Damon and Elizabeth.**

**R&R and let me know what you think xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 13 – Part 2**

**Elizabeth's POV**

"Stefan...we saw her; Katherine's here" Damon notified his brother.

"How did you lure her out?" Stefan asked me.

"That's not important right now, what _is_ important is...whether you have everything ready" Damon interrupted.

"Yes. We do" Elena answered. "We have the room all set upstairs"

"How are we going to get her up there?" I asked.

"You're going to do it" Damon said. "Without _my_ help, I might add"

"But...how am I going to do that? Katherine's a lot smarter than she looks, she'll see that I'm up to something if I take her upstairs''

"Well, clearly you're not going to make it look that obvious now, are you?" Damon said.

"Don't worry, you'll think of something" Stefan added.

"But I can't do it alone..."

"I'll help you" Bonnie volunteered. "If she tries anything, I'll be able to help you"

"Thank you, Bonnie" I said gratefully.

"Now remember, when you get her upstairs...it's the room on the far right" Elena informed.

...

As we began our search, both Bonnie and I entered the main guest room where Mayor Lockwood and his wife were talking to the guests, showing them the antiques that their mansion was chock-full of.

"She should be in here" I told Bonnie. "I can sense her"

"Should we split up?"

"No. This is Katherine we're talking about, we need to stay together"

"Then where should we start?"

"We should start with the Lockwoods; Katherine was one for talking to the hosts of a party"

Once we had our objective, we headed straight through the crowd in hot pursuit of the Lockwoods; they weren't hard to find considering they were at the front of the room. Once there, I grabbed Mayor Lockwood's attention and he obediently came towards me.

"May I help you, Miss Pierce? Are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Yes, Mayor Lockwood...I am enjoying them very much; but I was wondering if you could tell me something..."

"Oh? And what might that be?" He said, frowning slightly.

"I know you have spoken to a lot of guests tonight, but I want to know about someone in particular..."

"Really? And who is this person in particular?"

"Katherine Pierce...has she spoke with you at all?"

"No...I can't recall talking to a, Katherine Pierce; I-Is she of any...relation to you?"

"Unfortunately...yes"

"Well, I'm sorry Miss Pierce; but I'm afraid I can't help you..."

"Elizabeth! I found her!" Bonnie said, running to come beside me. I expressed my gratitude to Mayor Lockwood before following Bonnie in the northerly direction. We ran from room to room, hoping we were getting closer to our target. The longer we ran, the stronger Katherine's scent got; we were getting closer and closer now. Soon, we came to the final room which was the Lockwood study. The shelves and desks were a type of dark wood; upon them, laid hundreds of hardback books and across the floor, lay large pieces of parchment. Judging from the evidence, you could tell that a lot of Mayor Lockwood's days were spent in here. After closing the door, Bonnie and I explored the room; looking in every nook and cranny.

"She's not here" Bonnie commented quickly.

"But I can smell her" I said, frustrated. "She has to be here"

"Well, maybe she left"

"She couldn't have, Bonnie; it's not like her to give up so easily...especially when she knows I'm near" I turned to look at the books that stood before me; my back was now facing Bonnie.

"Maybe, we should check another room; just in case we missed her..." I heard the sound of Bonnie's footsteps departing, heading towards the door. Suddenly, I turned my body to face her; Katherine's scent came on a lot stronger now...I knew she was close. But Bonnie turned on her heels and walked back, further into the room. She sighed deeply.

"I guess we should just tell the others that we can't find her..." Bonnie began. But my senses were alerted to the darkening figure that stood behind her.

"Bonnie, look out!" Bonnie turned instantly and saw Katherine standing menacingly in front of her, her fangs bared. She was about to scream, but I moved swiftly towards Katherine knocking her into the other side of the room; she fell on the wooden desk with a large thud. In an instant, Katherine lifted herself back up and hurtled herself quickly towards me. As I hit the opposite wall, I felt my spine vibrate with the shock; Katherine's cold hand was now wrapped securely, tightly around my neck, her fangs still bared.

"Nice try sis, but you and I both know you're never going to beat me" She whispered menacingly. Her fingers were now tightening themselves around my neck, blocking my air passages. Katherine chuckled.

"I see you have a witch with you tonight; you weren't planning anything, were you?"

"No" I spoke breathlessly; I was surprised that I was able to speak.

"You shouldn't lie, Elizabeth; it doesn't suit you..."

"Leave her alone, Katherine..." Bonnie spoke forcefully. Katherine turned her body and let go of my neck, causing me to drop to the ground. I looked up; Katherine was edging towards her slowly and steadily.

"And what are you going to do, little witch?" She taunted. I saw Bonnie glare into Katherine's eyes; after a few seconds, Katherine was doubled over in pain. I thought that Bonnie was at a breakthrough; she'd actually found a way to stop Katherine...but I was easily disappointed. Katherine started to laugh wickedly; surprisingly, Bonnie's spell was no longer affecting her.

"I've lived for a long time, Bonnie...I think I can survive a spell as feeble as that" Then Katherine grabbed a hold of Bonnie's neck, grasping it strongly.

"Katherine, leave her alone; this is between you and me!" I begged her.

"Don't worry, sis; I just want to have a little chat with your friend..." Katherine stared deep into Bonnie's eyes; I could tell she was ready to compel her. But Katherine was getting nowhere, I could smell the vervain Bonnie had in her possession...maybe both of us could play this to our advantage. This would be our plan to get Katherine upstairs.

"Now, Bonnie; tell me...what is my sister up to?" Katherine asked.

"She's planning to kill you..." Bonnie said robotically.

"Thank you, Bonnie; you've been most helpful..." Suddenly, Katherine let go of Bonnie and she - like me - fell to the ground. Then, Katherine turned to me, with anger and triumph in her eyes.

"Looks like your plan didn't go as well as you'd hoped...although, I do appreciate the attempt"

"You didn't have to do that..." I murmured, finding the strength to stand on my own two feet again.

"Actually, I did; otherwise I would have ceased to exist..." I began chuckling to myself.

"...And you say that's a bad thing?"

"I know your game, Elizabeth; you've wanted me dead for years, but you've never had the guts...because I am always one step ahead of you"

"Believe me...I have more planned than you know" Katherine chuckled.

"Shame, I would have loved to have seen them; but you'll be dead soon...right after I kill your precious Salvatore's"

"If you touch them..." I warned; my eyes were white hot with anger.

"You'll what?" Katherine interrupted. She laughed when I didn't respond.

"Thought so...now, where are they?"

"You'll never get it out of me..." I told her firmly.

"Who say's I was asking you?" Katherine turned on her heels and quickly picked Bonnie up from the ground by her arm.

"Bonnie, don't tell her!" I begged her.

"Ha, like that's going to do any good" As soon as Katherine looked in Bonnie's eyes, she was instantly under her 'spell' again.

"Where are Stefan and Damon hiding?" Katherine asked.

"Upstairs...far room on the right" Bonnie spoke robotically. Once Katherine had her answer, the compulsion ended. She turned her head to look at me, with Bonnie's arm still in hand.

"You two can lead the way...now move it" She ordered, pushing Bonnie in front of her. Before Bonnie fell to the floor, I caught her just in time.

"You won't get away with this, Katherine" I warned her. Katherine smiled.

"Oh, I think I already have..."

...

Once we were upstairs, Katherine irritably pushed past us; she stared at all the large white doors that led to the various rooms on the top floor.

"Where are they?" She spoke angrily, hands on hips. Bonnie looked at me doubtfully. _Should I tell her?_ She mouthed; I nodded. _We've got her this far, _I mouthed back in response.

"It's the third one down" Bonnie spoke aloud; and with that, Katherine was hot on her heels...walking towards the door. I looked at Bonnie for the final time; my face read: _this is it. _ We both stared as Katherine burst through the set of white double doors and we continued to watch her as she looked suspiciously around the room.

"There's no-one here..." She said irritably; Katherine turned on her heels to glare at me.

"You tricked me?" I smiled triumphantly.

"I thought you were always one step ahead"

"Wait till I get my hands on you..." Katherine was about to run out of the doorway, when some sort of force-field pushed her back into the room; leaving her flabbergasted as well as surprised.

"What the hell?" She said, mostly to herself.

"My mind trick may not have worked, Katherine...but I still know how to trap a vampire" Bonnie smirked, folding her arms.

"Just wait till I get out of here!" Katherine shouted, pushing against the force-field.

"You won't...that's the beauty of it" I smiled.

"So this is all you came up with? Your big, _master plan_? Trapping me in a room?"

"Pretty much" I responded simply.

"Well it won't work...because I _will _get out, and I _will_ kill you" From the corner of my eye, I saw Damon with some sort of gun in his hand - ready to pull the trigger; he looked at me and gave me some sort of signal.

"...Not before he kills you first" I said to Katherine, hinting towards Damon behind her. Katherine - like lightning – turned around to face Damon; he pulled the trigger and out came a wooden stake that hurtled towards her at the speed of light. Yes! I said in my mind; this was it! I was going to be free at last, after all these years! Please, let this be it! But I was instantly disappointed. Just as the stake was about to pierce through her skin, Katherine managed to catch it; but she through it back just as quick, causing it to pierce through Damon's chest...right by where his heart would have been. He dropped to the floor like an anchor in the sea. No! Oh god, no!

"Damon!" I cried out; I ran for the door, but Bonnie grasped my arm, pulling me back.

"You can't go in...If you go in, you can't get out" She warned; but I didn't care. I was instantly reminded of 1864; Damon was lying on the ground...I couldn't help him, even though I knew he was in agony. Now, I wanted to make it up to him, I had to help him. The consequences for me not getting out were minor. I wouldn't have cared if I was trapped there for the rest of my eternal life, unable to leave; if I was with Damon that would have suited me perfectly. I escaped from Bonnie's grasp and I ran through the door to come to kneel beside Damon, who lay still as a statue; his eyes closed.

"Damon? Damon? Can you hear me?" I asked frantically, praying that there were still some signs of life. I looked at the stake that stuck out from his chest; a mass amount of blood surrounded it, causing it to stain his once immaculate grey waistcoat. I gripped it firmly and winced as I pulled it upwards; Damon's eyes quickly opened and a groan escaped his lips. I breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, he was going to be fine. Damon's eyes came to look at me.

"You okay?" I whispered, my hand surprisingly resting on his arm.

"Yeah...where's Katherine?" He replied hoarsely.

"Over here" Katherine's voice sounded from the opposite side of the room; she was resting casually on the wall, with her arms crossed in front of her. I carefully helped Damon to his feet, with the caution that Katherine might attack again.

"Wow, Elizabeth; you _are_ pathetic...he must really have you under his spell"

"I don't know what you mean" I said confusedly.

"You sacrificed your own safety, knowing you weren't going to get out...for a _Salvatore_" Katherine glared at Damon, a look which he was quick to return.

"Well, I guess this works wonders for me..." Katherine said, taking her back off of the wall.

"And how is that?" I asked.

"Because, you're not out there, you're stuck in here with me...which means, I get to kill you" Katherine smiled wickedly, showing her bright white teeth; her eyes flickered over towards Damon; a frown appeared on her face.

"What? No '_you're going to have to go through_ _me_' speech?" An expression spread across Katherine's face, it read; _this is a lot more awkward than I thought. _

"No, there's no need... he doesn't love me" Although I pronounced it strongly, I felt my heart ache. Each last word was like a stake being driven in my body, piercing my heart... and in doing so; it would bleed all of my love for Damon.

"Well I'm not surprised...giving you hurt him, all those years ago; I mean, some sort of emotion was bound to come out of it" There was now a feeling pulsing through me; I _wanted_ Katherine to kill me right here and now...hearing her, telling me how much I'd hurt Damon, putting it all into perspective...I wanted to die. I couldn't live another second, knowing the extent of what I'd done...every second that I lived, I was just hurting Damon more, because I reminded him of the pain I'd caused him. I tried to beg Katherine, wanting her to kill me...but no words came out.

"Cut the crap, Katherine; if you wanna kill us...just get on with it" Damon spoke unemotionally; I looked at his posture, he was ready for Katherine to come to him.

"If you say so..." Soon, Katherine bared her sharp fangs; her eyes were the colour of blood, she was ready for the kill. I slid slightly behind Damon, somehow in the hope for protection. I gripped Damon's hand ever so lightly; it was my only way to show that I was saying goodbye to him...even though I felt like doing so much more. Damon turned his head as he sensed my touch; strangely, he didn't pull away. Before long, Katherine hurtled herself towards us.

"_Goodbye Damon_" I whispered so low only he could here. I closed my eyes as I prepared for my fate; my life now, was going to come to an end...But having Damon with me, to suffer the same fate, brought a new sense of comfort. I was ready to face death- again. I waited impatiently for me to feel the pain; why hadn't it come to me yet? Did it happen that quickly?... Was this death? Is this what it felt like? To die for real this time? I soon shuddered to the sound of pierced flesh, followed by a groan. I opened my right eye slowly; Katherine was no longer in front of Damon and me, as she was before. Instead, Stefan took her place...but his eyes were focused upon the floor. I opened my other eye; there she laid, Katherine, still as a rock, eyes closed, and stake in stomach...similar to what Damon had been like before her. I sighed with great relief.

"...Thank God it's over" I whispered thankfully, although it was mostly to myself. I looked over at Elena and Bonnie, as they appeared from the main double doors.

"Is she dead?" Elena murmured hopefully.

"No. Just paralysed" Stefan replied simply.

"She can't be just paralysed, Stefan..." Damon retorted.

"I know...but we can take her somewhere else; we can't do it here"

"Yes we can." I spoke firmly. "Stefan, this may be our only opportunity!"

"I vote we do it here... and now." Damon said. Stefan nodded lightly, he knew he was outnumbered.

"But when I take the stake out..."

"We'll be ready." I assured him. Stefan nodded and knelt down next to Katherine.

"Stefan, why don't you let me do it?" Elena volunteered. "You can have the other stake ready" Stefan rose up again and stood next to Elena; he nodded, and she then took his place. Elena wrapped her fingers tightly around the stake; she was ready.

"Elena, be careful" I warned her. She nodded in response and tightened her grip on the stake. As soon as she pulled it, Katherine suddenly sat up and grabbed Elena's neck, her fangs bared. Before Stefan or Damon could grab a hold of Katherine, she moved at lightning speed towards the far end of the room; Elena struggled to breathe as Katherine strengthened her grip; Elena tried pulling on the hand around her neck, but it was useless.

"Nice try; but we all know I'm the smart one here"

"Let her go, Katherine" Stefan begged.

"Why should I? Elena double crossed me...someone needs to die around here"

"Please, I'll do anything... just let Elena go!" Stefan continued to beg. Katherine pondered for a second.

"Fine; get your witch friend to undo the spell on the room...and I'll let her go"

"Like hell I will" Bonnie responded.

"Then her blood will be on your hands"

"Katherine, just let her go; it's me you want...not her!" I spoke desperately.

"Get your witch to undo the spell...or I snap her neck" Katherine persisted. "You have on the count of three...one...two..."

"Bonnie, you have to undo the spell" I whispered to her.

"But what about the plan? We can let her escape" She whispered back.

"Forget it...Elena's safety is more important"

"No!...Bonnie, don't... do it!" Elena spoke breathlessly. Soon, Bonnie closed her eyes; they opened more quickly than she had closed them.

"Well?" Katherine said impatiently.

"It's done." She murmured regretfully. Katherine immediately let go of Elena; the second she was free, Elena ran eagerly into Stefan's waiting arms, her face nestled deep into his chest. A few seconds later, a smile appeared on Katherine's lips before she finally disappeared. Elena lifted her head.

"How could you let her escape?" Elena asked; her question aimed at all of us.

"It was either letting her go or you not having your head..." I responded seriously.

"But she knows we've double-crossed her..." Elena cried. Stefan tightened his grip around her, keeping her in a strong embrace.

"Trust us Elena, we won't be as stupid next time...we'll get her" Bonnie assured her.

**End of Chapter!**

**R&R and let me know what you think.**

**A/N:**** I just want to say thanks for the reviews I've had so far; I know I haven't had many, but each review and every word means a lot to me...so thank you! Love you, guys ;-)**

**Next Chapter Coming Soon!**

**Teaser for Next Chapter:**** Who will Katherine get to next?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Coming Home**

**Chapter 14**

**Previously:**_"But she knows we've double-crossed her..." Elena cried. Stefan tightened his grip around her, keeping her in a strong embrace._

"_Trust us Elena, we won't be as stupid next time...we'll get her" Bonnie assured her._

**Elizabeth's POV**

I sighed as I tapped the knocker against the door to the Salvatore Boarding House. I couldn't help but think of what happened last night; we were so close to killing Katherine...but we were stupid enough to let her go. If she hadn't put Elena in danger, I think we would have had her...and I would be free now. I waited until the door to the Boarding House opened - and surprisingly, it was Damon who stood behind it. It took every ounce of me to not fall at his feet; he wore a black shirt - with the first two buttons undone, revealing a small part of his smooth chest - that clung to his toned muscles. He also wore black jeans and to top his outfit off, he wore black rocker boots...even his hair was a lot tidier than the usual bed-headed look he displayed. He was so beautifully handsome... it was just unfair.

"Oh, _you're_ here" Damon spoke with disinterest, whilst leaning against the side of the door.

"Stefan invited me; he said we needed to talk" I told him calmly.

"Yes...we do" He responded. I stared into his tropical, sea-blue eyes; they stood out vividly in comparison to his dark clothing. I couldn't help but lose myself in them – for at least two seconds.

"So...are you going to let me in?" I asked, blinking twice.

"Do I have a choice?" He asked depressively.

"Not really" I responded. Before long, Damon stepped aside and allowed me to enter.

"I'm confused" I said with a slight frown, once I stood comfortably in the main hallway. "Somehow, I think you would have killed me by now, Damon"

"Oh, I'm planning on it..." He responded slyly as he closed the front door.

"The Damon I knew, didn't plan; he went straight with it" I said folding my arms.

"I'm not the Damon you once knew, remember?"

"Hmm" I mumbled. Then, Damon pushed past me and walked across the corridor before entering the living room. I of course followed in his footsteps and entered the living room, standing only a few centimetres away from him. I looked around to see Stefan standing by the fireplace and the back of Bonnie's head – she was sitting on the couch reading an antique book and she was carefully turning its delicate pages one at a time.

"What's going on?" I asked. Bonnie turned her head to look at me; she closed her book and rose from the couch, her hands crossed formally in front of her.

"We need to talk" Bonnie said seriously.

"About what?" I asked confusedly.

"We need to ask you about Katherine" Stefan replied.

"What do you want to know?"

"How she thinks, her patterns...etcetera" Damon responded, his arms crossed.

"Surely you and Stefan would know that..." I said to Damon.

"Well, if we did...we wouldn't need your help" He said sarcastically.

"Please, we need your help" Stefan begged lightly. "We need to know as much as possible before Katherine causes serious damage" I sighed deeply before I responded.

"Unfortunately, I can only help you so much..."

"Tell us what you know." Bonnie said calmly. I sighed again before I could answer them.

"All I know is...we need to act fast; Katherine is always hot on her feet, looking for her next victim...especially if someone's pissed her off"

"Is there any way we could persuade her to not do so?" Stefan asked.

"No. When her mind is set...it's set; nothing can stop her" I replied grimly.

"I shouldn't have undone the spell last night" Bonnie muttered, mostly to herself. "If it wasn't for me, we would be done with Katherine right now"

"Bonnie" I said to her firmly. "I know this sounds strange, but...you did the right thing; if we'd have kept her in that room, Elena would be dead...you protected a friend, and that was the best thing you could have done"

"But what is a friend compared to the whole town?" Bonnie argued.

"Trust me, Bonnie; Elena is worth a lot more compared to the town...you should know that" After a while, Bonnie nodded in acceptance.

"Anyway, whilst we're on the subject...where is Elena?" I asked.

"She's at home with Jenna and Jeremy; they brought him home this morning" Stefan answered.

"Are you sure that's wise?" I spoke worriedly.

"No we're not; but Elena needs to be with her family right now...she's been through enough"

"And, whilst we're still on the subject of Elena...you can't stay in her house anymore" Damon said seriously.

"Why not? I could protect her if I'm there"

"Elizabeth, Katherine came to the house because she was looking for you, and Jeremy was unlucky enough to cross her path...we can't let that happen again" Stefan said.

"So where am I going to go?"

"You can stay here for now..." He offered. "Just until we can get this all sorted out"

"And how are you...going to get things, sorted out? Because Katherine's going to be on her guard more than ever"

"Got it. We've already lowered her guard by attacking her once; so, she won't expect us coming if we try again so early" Damon suggested.

"Wait. Are you saying that you didn't even have a plan?"

"Yes I do; I've just made one" Damon smiled, showing his bright white teeth; my heart _melted_ at the sight.

"So when do you propose we do it, Damon? I mean, we have to be sensible with our choices"

"Two days. Tops. It'll give us time to prepare..."

"...It'll give Katherine enough time to kill a few more victims" Bonnie added, mocking Damon's tone of voice.

"We won't let it get that far..." Stefan assured her.

"And, we won't be stupid enough to let her go...we'll get her this time" I added finally.

...

**Elena's POV**

I knocked on Jeremy's door with a light tap, as I carried the tray which held his dinner; chicken and rice, yum. I opened the door to the sound of Jeremy's voice, allowing me to enter. Once inside, I headed towards his bed; which was situated in the middle of the room, his computer and other necessities were positioned around it. I flashed him a pleasant and warm smile as he sat up – carefully – in his bed; he was quick in returning the smile.

"I brought you dinner" I said sweetly, resting the tray on his bed as I sat on the side of it.

"Thanks" He spoke gratefully. "You know, I think I'm starting to enjoy this" He smiled smugly. For the past few hours, I'd been taking things to and from him; all because of his 'accident'. I could feel the anger inside me boil; Katherine was still out there...she wasn't dead like she was supposed to have been.

"Good; enjoy it while it lasts...it's not going to last for long" I said to him, trying to distract myself from the thought of last night.

"Elena?" Jeremy asked after a short while.

"Mmhmm?"

"How did... she look like you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

"The girl...the one who attacked me; she looked like you"

"Jer, I've already gone through it; I would _never_ do anything to hurt you..."

"I know that. But I just don't understand how she looked so much like you; it was like she was some sort of..._evil twin_"

"If I had an evil twin, Jer, I think I would have told you by now" I assured him.

"I guess you're right" He said finally.

"So" I said after a while. "Has Vicky been to visit you?"

"No; I haven't seen her, not even before the accident"

"To be honest, it doesn't surprise me...you could do so much better than her anyway"

"Are we having the 'drug conversation' again?" Jeremy raised his right eyebrow.

"Nope. This is just me being a good sister to you...who hopes you dump her as soon as possible"

"And why is that then?" Jeremy smiled slightly.

"Because. If she really cared about you, she would have sat at your bedside – day _and_ night. Like I did."

"Yeah well, you're my sister; you had to"

"Actually, I didn't have to; I could have just...sat around and not cared at all about what happened to you"

"But you didn't..."

"Yes; and, you wanna know why I didn't? Because you're my brother, and I love you...now, eat up; I'll bring dessert later"

...

After leaving Jeremy's bedroom, I headed down the stairs. I didn't find Aunt Jenna in the living room - watching the TV, like I was expecting; instead I found her out in the kitchen, listening intently to the person on the other end of the phone. Small tears streamed down her face; I was instantly worried. I waited until Jenna disconnected the phone line, to be able to talk.

"Jenna? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Sherriff Forbes was just on the phone..." She answered briefly, wiping away her tears.

"Is Jeremy in trouble again?" I asked, unsurprised if Jenna were to say 'yes' to that question.

"No. He's not in trouble; I-It's Vicki Donovan, actually..."

"Why? What has she done?"

"Nothing. One of the Sherriff's deputies...discovered her body, not far from the grill; she suffered a huge amount of blood loss...the Sherriff's notified me to tell Jeremy"

"Oh my God" I said breathlessly. Katherine had done it again. All of this happened because we were brainless enough to let her escape...and now Katherine was keeping her promise to kill everyone I cared about. Suddenly, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me; earlier, I'd suggested to Jeremy that he should dump her because she was a bad influence. I couldn't be there when we had to tell him...it would hurt too much. I already felt guilty enough.

"I'll tell him about Vicky...you won't need to worry about that" Jenna said, somehow acknowledging my thoughts.

"I just can't believe Vicki's gone; I've known her since pre-school..."

"It's hard to cope with, I know; I once had a friend...who was killed. I'd known her my whole life"

"How was she killed...?" I dared myself to ask.

"It was a hit and run driver; it was unfortunate...she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time"

"I'm sorry" I said sympathetically as more tears cascaded down Jenna's face at the memory of her friend.

"Listen, why don't you go and visit Bonnie? Get some time away" Jenna said, wiping away her tears.

"Okay; but I'll have to call her..."

...

**Elizabeth's POV**

I stood by the window – in my new room, two doors down from Mrs Flowers' - to gaze upon the views outside. It was night; the moon and the stars were shining their perpetual light upon the trees that were darkened by the rest of the night sky. A small smile appeared on my lips; the night was such an incredible, dazzling thing...it almost made me thankful that I was so permanently attached to the night and the darkness it brought across the earth. I sat on the wide windowsill to gaze further upon the stars. My mother and I would always watch the stars at night, ever since I was a baby...and every time, she would say the same thing. _'Dream a dream, and you will go far; but you will only live forever, when you wish upon a star' _As a child, I was too busy wrapping my fingers around her silky brunette curls and gurgling to pay any attention; but the older I became, the more I came to understand what she had said. A tear cascaded down my right cheek. I wished she was here; to smile to me, as brightly as all the stars in the sky...to hold me in her arms and say '_nothing will hurt you, I promise'. _Since her death, I had never felt so vulnerable; with her, I felt I could take on the world...but not so much anymore. I felt as if I could break down at the slightest glance from another person; it was the fear of Katherine that has kept me going for so long...and the thought of Damon. I held my legs close to my chest as I rested my head on the window; I could hear the voices from downstairs...low, and serious. I could even hear Bonnie crying at one stage; but I just wanted to block them all out. I just wanted to disappear and forget the world and their problems. I took a final glance at the moon before gradually closing my eyes; strangely, I felt peaceful. I'd blocked everything out...and now it was just me; me and my thoughts...all alone...

_Knock, Knock._

My eyes opened in a flash to the sound at the door. Who dares to disturb my peaceful thinking? I asked in my mind, though I knew I would never receive an answer. But I sighed calmly and still kept my legs close to my chest.

"Come in" I spoke clearly. The door opened slowly; in the back of my mind, I was hoping deeply that I was Damon. But when the door was opened wide enough, I saw that it was Stefan. When he closed the door behind him, he moved further into the room.

"Did I disturb you?" He asked politely. I shook my head in response. Then, Stefan continued to walk towards me; I gazed at him in awe as the moon's light was reflected in his eyes. The rest of his body was practically invisible, nothing but a shadow within the darkness...but his eyes, they stood out vibrantly compared to the rest of his face; a wondrous emerald green... there was no guessing as to why Elena had chosen him.

"Can we talk?" He asked briefly; I nodded and signalled him to sit on the opposite side of the windowsill; he did so accordingly.

"Elena called..." Stefan began.

"What did she say?" I whispered calmly.

"She talked to Bonnie; and, she said that...Katherine's took another victim" He spoke grimly.

"Who was it?" I asked urgently, though my voice was still only a whisper.

"Vicki Donovan" Stefan replied quickly. I played the name repeatedly in my head; _Vicki Donovan, Vicki Donovan, Vicki Donovan._ It was then that it eventually clicked; Vicki Donovan was one of the popular girls at school, and it wasn't just because she was supposedly dating Tyler Lockwood...she had some sort of drug problem, which she thought she was keeping secret...but unfortunately, even the smallest of secrets end up getting found out in this town. The town was just too small for secrets to be kept.

"I knew her." I whispered unemotionally.

"Well, according to Elena; Jeremy was dating Vicki, so..."

"Katherine's sticking to her promise" I confirmed, mostly to myself.

"So...now that we know Katherine's still a threat to Elena; we need to work fast..."

"I know" I nodded, my voice more than a whisper now. I gave myself a few seconds to look at his face; he was so beautiful, in every way similar to his brother, and yet there was also someone else from the depths of my past that he reminded me of.

"...You look so much like your mother" I commented.

"You knew her?" Stefan asked, intrigued.

"For a brief time; she and my mother were best friends...every time mother went to visit her, she would always take me" I saw Stefan lower his head in sadness; he never knew his mother, unfortunately she'd died before he'd managed to catch her in his sights. But I did my best to comfort him.

"She would have loved you" I whispered lovingly. "I know I did. You were a beautiful child" Stefan smiled weakly in response and I persisted in comforting him.

"In a sense...it was you that kept me going when I was hiding from Katherine; I know I had Damon as a friend...but whenever I'd look after you, I'd always treat you as if you were my own"

"...and I thank you...for that" Stefan smiled again.

"How did it ever come to this?" I asked him, shaking my head slightly. "I mean, why can't life be simple?"

"Vampire or Human; life isn't simple either way...we all have to just, deal with it as it comes to us..." I sighed deeply as I contemplated his comment. Stefan was right; either way, human or vampire, life sucked...that's how it is, that's how it's always been. There was no such thing as a simple life...and that was the harsh reality.

"What's that?" Stefan asked, gazing at the chain around my neck. For a second I looked at him, and then I looked down at my chain; my fingertips touching it ever so gently.

"This?" I replied. "Oh, I've always had it...ever since my childhood; when I was turned, a friend of mine, bewitched it so I could walk during the day...I've always kept it hidden, I've never really flaunted it."

"May I see it?" He asked politely. I nodded and undid the chain at the back of my neck so I could gently place it into Stefan's palm.

"It's a locket" I told him, looking at it in his hand. The locket was oval and golden, with small swirly patterns engraved on the front. "But I haven't opened it in years..." I told Stefan further. He frowned as he turned the locket over, still on his palm; he looked at the gold, engraved writing on the back. It read: _Forever in my Heart_. Stefan turned the locket around for the final time before opening it; a small surge of anticipation rushed through me. I wanted Stefan to see what was inside; even though I hadn't opened it up myself for years, I still remembered its contents as if I had only just opened it recently. Once open, Stefan gazed at the picture within; I could see from his face that he was now exploring his past...like everything was suddenly flooding back to him. The picture inside was of myself – I was holding baby Stefan in my arms- Damon, who stood next to me and their father, Giuseppe Salvatore; and we stood together, like a real family, smiling brightly without a care in the world.

"Even though I left...I never forgot your family; I loved you all...with all my heart. You were my only true family" After a while, Stefan closed the locket and handed it back to me. I then placed it quickly back onto my neck, and hid it down the front of my blue top. I finally sighed before speaking again.

"I-I'm scared, Stefan" I admitted. "Katherine will do everything in her power to break us...we've already let her go once; and how we respond to her in the future will define us..."

"Elizabeth...don't be scared" Stefan assured me. "We _will_ stop Katherine, and we'll do it together...as a _family_" He smiled on his final three words, which I was immediate to return.

**End of Chapter!**

**Next One Coming Soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Coming Home**

**A/N:** **Just want to say sorry it took so long to update (I was away on holiday – completely forgot about the story) and thank you for all the reviews I've been getting lately for this story. Love you guys, you're the best. **

**Chapter 15**

**Damon's POV**

I couldn't sleep; the thought of her in my mind was too great. She was here. Stefan had given her a room – a few doors from mine - and now I lay wide awake on my bed which seemed so unfamiliar. I tossed and turned to find a comfortable enough spot to sleep; it was as if I was trying to shake the thoughts of her, out of me. But eventually, I gave up. I lay flat on my back to stare at the ceiling, losing myself as I let those thoughts overpower me and conquer me completely. I see her; at the Founder's Ball. Her dress, like blood, gliding effortlessly across the marble floors; her hand, the way she touched mine - so gentle and tender...and finally her face; Her eyes, a tantalizing chocolate brown, that would glisten against the light. Her lips, full and exciting, curving into a small, pleasant smile...

_How did she become this?_

As I child, I had admired her for her beauty. She was pretty; more than any other girl I had known. But now, she was something more. It was if everything about her was pulling me in...She aided my every need, _just with one look_.

This was the work of the devil; I was sure of it. In the past, I had found certain women to be quite attractive, though they weren't specifically my taste. But..._her_...of all the women in the world! ...Anyone! Give me _anyone_ but her! She was an infection, a disease! Spreading though my body, eating away at my vital organs until there would be nothing left of me!

Some would say at a time like this, that I was lovesick; I chuckled lightly at the irony. This wasn't a sickness! I am a vampire; sickness would not _dare _to touch me. I am immune to everything that comes my way! But..._love_...is something different all together. The thought of love, made it _feel_ like an illness. I felt repulsed; to think I could actually be in _love_!

No! I can't be! I hated her for what she'd done. She'd _destroyed_ me...she led Katherine to me and Stefan; and now I was doomed to live an eternity of hell. But hatred -as some say- can be born from love. There was such a fine line between them. I could understand how much I could have loved her as a child. She was my friend, and I cared for her a great deal; she brought back that, womanly touch I thought I would never see again, especially since my mother's death. She'd brought my young, aching, grieving heart back to life in a way that I never thought was possible. In a sense, she was everything.

But all of that has changed now. I will NOT admit to the subject of love; and I will NOT give into the devil.

I turned my head quickly. My whole body was alerted to a shadow – shown through the bottom of the closed door – moving past swiftly. It wasn't Stefan. I could sense him, still sleeping soundlessly in his room. And Bonnie – who was staying for the night – was sound asleep in hers. It was only Elizabeth who I couldn't sense. What could she be doing at this hour? She was up to something, I could _feel_ it...and I wasn't going to let her get away so easily. After pulling the silk sheets away from my body, I got up and followed her scent...which lead me to the living room. The room was lit with the light of the fire - though it was only stretching to certain places of the room. I saw her, facing the fire; she was standing, motionless...like she was waiting - or thinking; letting her losing herself in the dancing flames. At first I hesitated, I wasn't sure of the purpose of her being here; but I was determined enough to see this through.

**Elizabeth's POV**

I stared deeply into the fire – losing myself in the mixed shades of yellow and orange. I saw Katherine again, in my nightmares. She held a lifeless child in her arms – grinning at me in the most evil of ways. I wanted to help the child, but I knew they were already dead; blood cascaded slowly down their neck...Katherine had fed on them. Soon, she had shown the child to me; their head flopping back and forth as Katherine held them into position. I could see that the child was a boy – no younger than eight or nine. He had silky black hair, curling in various directions and he wore period clothing. _What had she done to this poor child?_ I wanted to ask her; but no sound came out... nor did I move my lips. I just stood there, gazing sympathetically at the boy. The more I stared at him, the more I came to realise who he actually was.

Damon.

I began to cry. She'd hurt him; she killed him...and now I had nothing. Before I could strike her, she disappeared - thus ending the nightmare. I awoke with tiny drops of sweat falling down my face. I soon needed air, I needed time to think. So here I was – surprisingly – staring hopelessly into the fire. Everyone was asleep at this point, so I don't think anyone could bother me.

"You're not supposed to be down here this late" Damon scolded. I jumped slightly to the sound of his voice; I was sure no-one had followed me down.

"I know" I replied, turning to face him. "I just needed time to think" Damon chuckled lightly.

"You have all of eternity to do that..." Damon retorted.

"Well, maybe I decided to do it now... because unlike you, I'm facing reality"

"...Then go and 'face reality' in your room"

"I've been on my own for a very long time, Damon; I don't do orders"

"Okay, let me put it another way; get your ass upstairs before I drag you there myself...and trust me, it won't be pretty" He threatened.

"You're all talk Damon; why don't you just kill me instead, like you said you were going to do?"

"That's a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

"No, it's not; if I've hurt you so much – which you've said I've done...then I wouldn't be here right now"

"Obviously, I have more on my mind than just killing people"

"Stefan's told me about you...about your life; he said you were ruthless...you'd kill without thinking twice about it" Damon frowned.

"Isn't that supposed to be the nature of what we are?"

"No; Stefan and Elena have made me see that. Just because we're vampires, doesn't mean we have to follow our true nature of killing"

"So you've killed?"

"Yes. But I'm not proud of it" I said regretfully.

"Urgh; you sound like Stefan" Damon said, disgusted. He turned and walked towards one of the couches behind him; he sat on it with complete grace.

"Well, maybe I do; because we both want the same thing, we both _feel_ the same need to be human again...and somehow I think you do too"

"And why would I think that?" Damon snarled.

"You've said so yourself; being like this, is an eternity of hell for you"

"And your point is?" Damon replied. I sighed deeply in frustration.

"Sometimes, I don't even know why I bother with you!"

"Feeling's mutual" He muttered, while staring at my face.

"Oh really? Well why don't I make it better for you? I'll just leave...for good this time"

"Suits me" Damon smiled, but his smile disappeared after two seconds.

"Fine" I said simply, heading towards the main hall. Before I got to the end of the couch, Damon was standing in front of me – blocking my planned exit. I sighed, waiting for Damon to say something.

"Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to let you go?" He glared. I shook my head slightly.

"Well I'm not; so don't even _think_ of leaving" Damon turned away, but didn't look back.

"So; you're just going to keep me prisoner now, is that it?" I asked after him.

"If you wanted to be treated like one, then yes"

"Why are you doing this, Damon? I know you have every right to hate me...but please, spare me of all of this" I begged. Then, Damon took a short glance before moving swiftly towards me. I gasped. Suddenly, I felt his strong arm around my neck - ready to snap it at any given moment. Strangely, I placed my hands on his arm – like I wanted to struggle out of the strong hold he had on me...but I didn't. I knew, that this was what I wanted. I couldn't continue living in a world, knowing that being with Damon was hurting him day by day. But what I feel for him has kept me here; otherwise I would have just left when he first asked me to. I took short quick breaths as I waited...impatiently, for Damon to end my suffering. _Please, be done with this_ I begged him in my thoughts, as if he was able to hear me. But instead, I felt his cool breath against my ear.

"_It would be too kind for me to kill you_..." Damon whispered chillingly. Then he let me go.

"Besides" Damon said normally "You're needed in our plan for Katherine...it would be pointless to end you now"

"Fine" I breathed. "But I'm going to make you a promise; soon as Katherine's gone...I will be too"

**Bonnie's POV**

_Dear Diary, _

_I'm terrified. That's the only emotion I can come up with to describe all of this. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know...if I'll be able to kill Katherine. All she has done is destroy the town, which gives me every reason to. But it's not like me, I am not a killer. I tend to leave it to Damon to come up with things like that; he doesn't seem to think twice when it comes to it. But...we're doing a good thing, aren't we? We're getting rid of a threat to our town...so it can stay protected. But why does it feel... so wrong? It's me. It's just me being a wimp. I understand that. And I hope Elena feels strong enough to cope with this, because she's gunna have to be strong for the both of us. _

"Bonnie? You ready?" Stefan asked; I stopped writing and lifted my head to look at him.

"Yeah, sure; as I'll ever be" I said convincingly with a small nod. But before I followed Stefan out of the house, I wrote one last sentence on the page of my diary.

_Wish me luck! I'm gunna need it._

Then I shut the book and headed in Stefan's footsteps.

...

My mind began to wander as both Stefan and I were walking aimlessly through the woods – looking for only God knew what. I knew our 'search' came to an end when I saw Damon and Elizabeth standing – quite far apart – in a wide clearing that was situated in the middle of the woods. After trying not to fall over too many fallen twigs and roots that stuck up from the ground, I quickly came to stand next to Elizabeth – who wore a dark red juicy couture tracksuit - for a sense of comfort; once there, she turned her head and gave me a small, friendly smile – which I returned.

"Looks wide enough" Stefan said looking around, his head facing upwards. When I looked at Stefan, I too started to look around; yes, this clearing was wide enough – for what, I wasn't sure...but there was an awful lot of foliage.

"Great; we'll do it here then" Damon accepted.

"Do what, exactly?" I came to ask after I stopped looking around.

"This. Dear Bonnie. Is where we are going to kill Katherine once and for all" Damon responded with a quick smile.

"But...this is the woods" I protested.

"I know. I can see that" Damon replied sarcastically.

"But...wouldn't it be a little obvious, doing it.._.here_?"

"Tried to tell him" Elizabeth muttered under her breath with her arms folded.

"Well obviously, we're going to be a lot craftier about it" Damon said, taking a short, quick glance at Elizabeth before looking at me again.

"We already tried that, Damon; we tried to do it in public, remember? How's doing it in the most, obvious place imaginable going to help?"

"Easy...we're just going back to the basics"

"And you're okay with this?" I asked, looking at Stefan. He folded his arms and gave me a small nod that said: _I have to be, what other choice do we have?_

_Okay, _I thought to myself calmly. _This plan is a lot crazier than I thought, even more than the first one...but Damon seems so sure about it – although, Damon was always sure of the things he came up with. And Stefan, he was agreeing with him; he was somewhat sure of it too...and Elizabeth - well, her thoughts to me are as clear as reading a book. I know she's ready for this. Everyone's so sure that this will work._ Then, as that last thought came into my mind, I managed to conjure up another question to the group.

"What's my part...in this?" I asked nervously.

"You. Are going to trap Katherine here...just like before" Damon answered.

"But...if I trap her, then I trap all of you; and what if she tries to escape again?"

"She won't" Stefan said. "Because she won't have Elena to use as a threat"

"Elena's... not part of this?" I asked hopefully.

"No. Especially because of the last time...we don't want any more blood to be shed other than Katherine's" Elizabeth said seriously.

"Right" I muttered with a slight nod; at least one person would come out of this safe and sound.

"So...how far am I stretching the shield?" I asked Damon, who was obviously in charge of all this.

"As far as you need to" He answered simply.

"I'll only make it go just beyond the clearing...if Katherine runs, she won't be able to go far"

"Good idea" Elizabeth said.

"And I'm guessing you'll be leading Katherine here...?" I asked her.

"No...Actually, Stefan's doing it; Katherine already suspects me... trying to get her here would be next to impossible if I did it"

"How do you even know where she is?" I said, turning to Stefan.

"I think I have a good idea"

**Katherine's POV**

_Dear Diary,_

_First I was afraid, then I was unsure...but now I am certain. For years I thought that my brother, Damon, was the monster within Mystic Falls. I was wrong. Katherine is the monster. I should have known that back in 1864, but I was stupid. I was a lovesick human who couldn't tell right from wrong; and now I see sense. I want nothing more than to see Katherine die; it doesn't sound like something I'd say...but with someone like Katherine, she can make you say or do anything._

"Hello Stefan" I said aloud, still looking at the page in front me.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked firmly.

"Reading your diary" I said simply. "I love how you talk about me. Very...descriptive" Then - in an instant - the book was lifted out of my hands, leaving me just as I was before – bored.

"You shouldn't be reading people's diaries" He warned me lightly - though I never really saw the threat in his words. I smiled and lifted myself from my seated position on the couch.

"I'm sorry" I pouted; getting more and more closer to him. "Am I forgiven?"

"Don't even go there, Katherine" Stefan warned again.

"Go where? Besides, I already know what you have planned for me...actually I don't...but I've been reading in between the lines"

"I have nothing planned Katherine" Stefan said shrugging his shoulders.

"Come off it, Stefan; you've already tried to kill me once before..." I began, pushing in front of him so I could look him in the eyes.

"You're right, I have...but you are just too smart for me to try again" Stefan said, slightly seductively. A small laugh escaped my lips.

"And don't you forget it..." I smiled, stroking his grey shirt with my finger. Then, a question came to my mind.

"If you're not planning anything, then where is everyone else?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm not sure...I've been on my own all day"

"Aww" I pouted sympathetically. "You poor thing...all alone in this...big house" I said, looking aimlessly around the living room. Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on my lips.

"Why don't I keep you company? I mean, surely you wouldn't mind it considering you've been alone; not just today...but for the past 145 years" I knew by saying this, I was pressing a few of Stefan's buttons. It was obvious he had been affected by what had happened in 1864, considering the love which he had for me.

"I was never alone, Katherine; and I'm not here to play games with you. Now tell me why you're here...or get out"

"Fine, I'll tell you. I'm scared, Stefan. It's my sister. I know you think she's innocent but she's not! She's the monster...she's the one who tried to turn me as a child and killed our mother...it was her! She is responsible for everything I've done. I know I've wanted to kill her, but that was so I could rid this earth of her evil" I lied convincingly.

"But she said..." Stefan began.

"She was just feeding you lies; she manipulated you! She manipulated everyone! Don't you see what she's done?" I continued to lie.

"Please, I beg you; if you haven't believed me in the past...please, _believe this_! Show me mercy and help me get rid of her!"

It was a long wait. I begged... pleaded in my mind I had done enough to convince Stefan Salvatore to lead me to my sister. I hadn't forgotten what she tried to do to me; she was going to pay for it. But I needed the one person who trusted her most to switch over to my side of opinion - even though I did have to lie. In the end, everything seemed to go my way. Stefan nodded – slowly, but doubtfully.

"Ok; I'll help you...and I know exactly where to find her"

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**A/N:**** the pic for Elizabeth's tracksuit will be on my profile; and during the woods scene, Damon and Stefan's clothes would be as if on the TV series, so no pics would have been needed.**

**Please R&R and I will try and update ASAP. Love you! ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Coming Home **

**Chapter 16**

**Elizabeth's POV**

Two hours went by and there was still no sign of Stefan. Awkward glances were now being exchanged between me, Bonnie and Damon. We didn't have to read each other's minds to tell what we were thinking. We were worried. And we all knew it. I quickly glanced at Damon; he was calm and patient, like he was in every situation. But when I looked at Bonnie, she was the exact opposite of him. Her body shook, like she was slowly diving into madness with every second that she waited. There had to be a way of calming her down.

"Bonnie, why don't you get the trap ready? Stefan could be coming any minute" I asked aloud, disturbing the silence. By asking this, Bonnie was instantly calmed and headed off to obey my instruction. The second she disappeared, I moved towards Damon to confess my doubt.

"Stefan's been gone for two hours..._where is he_?" I whispered urgently.

"You're not going to like what I'm thinking" He said grimly.

"Then cancel everything. We can get rid of Katherine some other way"

"No"

"Why not?"

"Because, if I know my brother – which I do – it's probably taking him a lot longer to get Katherine here...or..."

"Katherine's seen through him and she's finished him for good" I guessed, finishing Damon's sentence.

"Or" He continued. "He hasn't found Katherine at all"

"So what do we do?" I asked him quickly.

"The only thing we can do...wait"

"But that's what we've done already; for all we know, Stefan could be lying dead somewhere whilst we're still here waiting for him"

"Have a little faith" Damon muttered. "Stefan knows how to get a job done one way or the other"

"Well unfortunately, faith is the only thing I _do_ have right now"

"Good; now shut up and be patient" He ordered lightly. I shook my head at him and sighed deeply in frustration before walking towards a large rock covered in moss. I quickly sat down and sunk my head into my hands.

"By the way...still keeping your promise?" Damon asked after a short while.

"Yes!" I said firmly; my head still in my hands.

"Just checking" I lifted my head in a flash and stared at Damon with firmness in my eyes.

"Why? Why would you not think I would keep my promise?" I asked him; I was now standing on my feet.

"Well, if we go back to previous experiences; we can both clearly see that keeping promises is not your thing"

"For once Damon, you're wrong" Damon frowned almost instantly at that sentence. "I know I was never a good friend to you...but, even with all the promises I made...I still managed to keep one"

"And what was that?" He asked immediately.

"That I would always watch over you and protect you whenever I could"

"Liar" Damon retorted.

"You can call me a lot of things Damon; but you cannot call me a liar!" I shouted. "I have told you nothing but the truth since I came back here!"

"Then tell me! When have you ever watched over me apart from the fact that I was dying in cold blood alongside my brother?"

"I haven't!" I continued to shout. "When I saw you all those years back, I thought you were dead!"

"Just as I thought" Damon muttered, his voice now simmering down. "And what about protecting me, huh? You sure as hell made a right mess of that"

"Katherine was _following me_" I said firmly. "_I've told you that_. I left to protect _you..._what part of that don't you get?"

"I've been protecting myself for _years_ without you..." Damon replied quickly.

"And how's that been going for you?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Barely" I mumbled quietly.

**Elena's POV**

This can't be happening. This isn't right! Everyone I care about could be hurt because of this new plan they've come up with to get rid of Katherine. I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen to me. I thought they would understand - especially Stefan; but he seemed the most driven. And now I'm cooped up in my bedroom, hoping for the best. When I say cooped, I mean trapped. I don't know how or when, but somehow Damon's managed to compel Jeremy – which I will kill him for - to keep me locked in the house until this plan with Katherine is over. I could try and escape through the window, but it's a two storey jump; I don't think my body could take the pressure of the fall. So, I guess that leaves out all options. I'm stuck here.

Then an idea struck me.

I walked quickly towards my bedside cabinet and grabbed my phone. I searched through the contacts and rang the number I wanted; the dial tone seemed to ring for ages.

_Hi, you've reached Stefan; I apologize for not being at the phone. So leave a message and I will get to you as soon as I can._

I groaned aloud in frustration. Surely Stefan of all people would answer the phone in a time of desperation. But I tried his number again. My face brightened at the sound of the dial tone ending.

"Stefan?" I said hopefully. "Oh please, you have to help me. Damon's compelled Jeremy to..." I continued; but I was soon interrupted.

_Hi, you've reached Stefan; I apologize for not being at the phone. So leave a message and I will get to you as soon as I can._

I disconnected the phone before throwing it lightly onto my bed. Something was wrong; I could feel it - it nagged away constantly in my brain. But there was no way out. Jeremy – no thanks to Damon - was now constantly at my door; if he wasn't, he'd be in his room...still keeping an eye on the door. But I had to get out; I had to know that Stefan was safe and well...and Damon, and Bonnie and Elizabeth. I had to know they were all safe and sound.

Right now, I only had one plan to get out – which was to trick Jeremy into letting me go. Could you actually trick someone who was under compulsion? I guess that should have been one of the main questions to ask Stefan; but the thought of being trapped by someone under compulsion didn't actually occur to me. So I left myself a mental note – expect the unexpected.

"Jeremy?" I called aloud. Whilst I waited for him to answer, I headed towards the door and opened it hesitantly – slowly peeking through.

"You're not leaving" He replied robotically, his back facing me.

"I-I need to use the restroom..." I begged lightly - I'd deeply hoped that Damon would have granted me the leave for such a 'necessity'...surely something like this would have occurred to him – then again, there's also a reason for him not granting it.

"You can't leave Elena – under any circumstances"

"But I'm desperate... You can't leave me here"

"You can't leave" Jeremy retorted.

"I have no desire to leave the house; I just want to use the restroom then I'll come straight back..._please_, Jeremy" A few long seconds passed by before Jeremy finally responded.

"Fine...but be quick" He accepted.

"Thank you" I spoke calmly; Fortunately, I'd found the loophole in his compulsion. It was then that Jeremy stepped aside to let me pass, but the second I knew I was free, I ran as fast as I could – down the stairs and out the front door.

**Elizabeth's POV**

"Damon, it's been too long now; something's happened...I can feel it" I spoke grimly. There was now a cold, thin breeze that was causing my spine to shiver; it seemed perfect for this moment.

"I agree; Stefan wouldn't take this long... He's obviously seen Katherine" Damon replied in the same tone. It was obvious - Katherine had seen him, she knew what he was up to and then killed him right on the spot.

"Right, we'll have to call this off - get Bonnie; I'll start looking by the house" I spoke lightly. Damon stopped in his tracks to turn back to me; an unreadable look was etched over his face.

"Since when did you start giving _me_ orders?" He asked - his right eyebrow raised.

"Really? You pick now to ask pathetic questions? We have to find your brother" I told him urgently. Once again, an unreadable look took over his face; I sighed deeply in response.

"Just...go! I'll meet you by the house once you have Bonnie" I said impatiently whilst grabbing a few of my things I'd left next to a tree on the left far corner. But I stopped putting them together when I sensed a different presence heading towards the clearing.

"Damon, wait; don't go yet!" I ordered. Damon had started to leave, but again, my voice had caused him to stop and turn to face me - this time, his senses on full alert.

"Someone's here" I spoke gently, as if an animal stood before us that we were trying to get close to and not disturb. "I can sense them"

"Stefan?" Damon asked me.

"No...it's too different" I said, now searching aimlessly around the clearing for our mystery intruder. I frowned almost instantly after a few seconds.

"It's not Bonnie - She's too far away...but...Is that vervain I can smell?" I asked aloud, though it sounded mostly like I was asking myself. Whoever it was, they had to be human.

"Yeah, I smell it...they're human..." Damon responded, confirming my thoughts aloud.

"Elena?" I asked aloud as I heard the sound of a twig being stepped upon.

"It can't be Elena, I saw to it that she'd stay put..." There was something about that, that seemed to please Damon in his thoughts; but I ignored him and continued to sense our intruder.

"Oh come on, It's obviously just another human walking by...just act normal if they see us" Damon spoke casually.

"Oh really? And what human would be that stupid to walk through the woods at this time?"

"Well, considering we can smell vervain on them..." Damon began; but he didn't need to finish that sentence, I already knew what he meant. The human was obviously very prepared for whatever they would meet in the woods.

"Ok...let's just pack up and leave" I said, finally lowering down my guard and continued to pack up my things. When I finished, I turned, ready to leave to find Stefan. Images flowed through my mind when I thought of what I might find, if I actually managed to find him. One showed his skin - burned after Katherine would torture him with vervain to gain information; another image showed me arriving too late, and all that would be left was a large pile of ash from when Katherine would expose him to the sun. Finally there was the obvious image; Stefan lying there...with a stake driven violently through his oh so kind and caring heart. All the images were horrific; I just hoped that I wasn't going to be too late to find that any of those images had actually come true. Then came another sound of twigs being stepped upon. Damon had already left to go and fetch Bonnie, so for now I was completely alone. The intruder's smells were now filling my senses; lavender, honey...even vervain. All were wonderful...but now I was starting to feel on edge. This human...was getting closer...No! These smells were too close for me, I could actually detect what or who they were. For a start, they weren't human. This panicked me deeply. What sort of freakish vampire would walk around with vervain on their person? If vervain touched us...we'd burn at its touch - the scars were etched into our skin for the rest of eternity.

But.

Not only could I detect what 'species' they were...I could tell _who_ they were. This had confirmed my worst fears. She had finished of Stefan to get where she is - she'd tortured him to the point where he would be begging for death. But he was strong, he wouldn't give in...so that was the end. Stefan had died to help us. Sudden tears were now cascading down my face at the thought of Stefan - alone...being tortured by _her_...with no-one to help him. That kind hearted spirit was now no-longer on this earth...although a lot people did not know it; they'd lost a great treasure...but there was no way I or anyone else who knew him was going to let his death be in vain.

"There's no point in hiding, Katherine!" I shouted. " I know it's you...come out, coward!" I turned my head to the left and saw Katherine appear from one of the trees, fixing her jacket sleeves at the wrist. She sighed.

"Well done, Elizabeth; you caught me...wanna know the prize?" She smiled evilly.

"I know what you did to Stefan, Katherine" I said firmly, trying to fight back the tears. Katherine began pacing.

"He was a loose end, I prefer mine tied up" She smiled.

"What have you done with Damon and Bonnie?" I asked her. Damon had been gone for a while now and I was contemplating the horrific thought of Katherine having killed him too. My heart ached at the painful thought.

"Unfortunately, for me, they got away before I could get to them; but don't think that's spared their lives. I'll get to them soon enough" She said. continuing to fix her sleeves. I frowned.

"What's with the get-up?" I asked, hinting towards her beautifully designed clothing. She wore a dark leather jacket, a silk beige top, tight black skinny jeans and heels that were so high, on their own they would have been classed as their own skyscrapers. But, all the same though I hated to admit it, she looked glamorous.

"Oh, just something I like to wear for special occasions"

"And what special occasion would that be?" I asked, though I knew I shouldn't have.

"You know how I always want to look my best...especially when I kill you" Though it should have, that answer didn't faze me. I'd heard it so much before - I'd become immune to it somehow.

"Yeah. I've heard it all before Katherine. Yes, you're going to kill me...but what about after? All your eternal life you've done nothing but chase me and follow me, everywhere I turn or go. What will you do after you kill me huh?"

"Hmmm" Katherine said, contemplating. "Never thought about that really" Although there seemed to be that little flicker of hope in which maybe Katherine would spare my life, I would be wrong to acknowledge the thought. Katherine would have obviously planned what she would do next after she killed me. She was a good actress, but I'd known her enough to see right through her - She, to me, was as transparent as glass.

"Why are you stalling Katherine? Just get it over with already" I said, almost begging her.

"Because you're right...what will I do?" She continued to smile.

"Stop doing this to me, Katherine! Why are you doing this to me?" I shouted.

"I told you" Katherine spoke firmly, angrily. "Back in 1847...you can run because I will find you and I will hunt you down" Katherine said casually.

"And I told you back in 1847... to stay away from me, because I don't want to endure an eternity of hell with you!" I retorted angrily.

"I WILL NOT SPEND ETERNITY ON MY OWN!" Katherine bellowed.

"Screw you" I said, refusing to acknowledge her past words. It was those two words that had lit the match and set off the bomb that was deeply embedded inside of Katherine. After all this time, it was those two words that would guarantee my death at her hands. It was then that her brown eyes turned crimson and her mouth welcomed her sharp fangs, ready for the kill. I stood my ground, ready for Katherine to attack me. But before I could have my final thought, Katherine was already at me; biting deep and violently into my neck. Although I've wanted this for so many years I practically begged for it, I screamed. I felt Katherine's anger and frustration as she dug deeper and deeper through the many layers of my skin; it wouldn't be long before she would reach the bone. Now I felt numb...she wasn't sucking out my blood as it may have appeared...she just ripped and tore at the skin; like a person feasting on food after many days or weeks of starvation. Then, the pain stopped almost instantly; I sank to the ground, holding my neck as something catapulted Katherine halfway across the clearing and into a tree. I groaned as I felt my blood seep out of the wound, flowing like a waterfall across my shoulder and down the front of my body; my tracksuit - now stained with my blood - was now a dark, mucky brown. But then, a familiar pair of hands were helping me keep my hand on the wound and I was supported with a kind, gentle voice I wasn't expecting to hear ever again.

"It's alright...just keep your hand there"

"Stefan? where...where were you?" I asked, completely astounded.

"Doesn't matter...just keep putting pressure on the wound" Stefan then looked at the scene that occurred before us. Damon and Katherine were fighting. Every so often Katherine would throw a few punches and then Damon would return them with twice the force. If you looked at it with human eyes, it would look as if they were dancing; all you could see was the colour of their clothes being blended together as they continued to fight each other. There would be certain points were it looked as if Katherine was winning, but then the tables would turn and it would look as if Damon was. Either way...it looked pretty much even matched.

"Stefan, do something" I told him gently, urgently. The fight was now at a point were Katherine had most certainly won, with Damon pinned beneath her. At that instant, memories flowed into my mind of the games Damon and I would play as children - it was as if the whole scene was playing in front of me.

"Alright Katherine...you win" Damon sighed whilst trying to catch his breath.

"You give up too easily, Damon" Katherine said playfully. "Sadly it's a trait that's going to get you killed one day" Soon as those words left her mouth, I leaned against a tree as I struggled to stand on my own two feet. She was about to kill Damon - murder him right in front of me - and she needed to be stopped. But, the second that thought entered my mind, Stefan had entered the scene - without Katherine's awareness - and took her head clean off her shoulders and it landed with a soft _thud_ onto the ground.

Silence filled the atmosphere.

Katherine was dead.

It was over.

**End of Chapter!**

**A/N:**** Sorry I took so long! Been soooo busy, finally my exams are over! XD But thank you for the reviews you've been giving me for this story! You're the best 3**


	17. Chapter 17

**Coming Home **

**Chapter 17**

**Elizabeth's POV**

It was inevitable that silence would surround and take over this moment - including the sound of all of our heavy breathing patterns. The head of my sister was now halfway across the clearing and I couldn't have been more surprised. Sure, it was to be expected - I'd wanted it since I was eight years old. But now that I had it…I just couldn't believe it. You've heard of the expression 'be careful what you wish for', well it seemed that it couldn't have applied more to this moment. At first, it seemed that I'd been so careful with what I'd wanted. I wanted to be free…but now I wasn't so sure. For years I'd wanted my sister gone - now…

A large tear cascaded down my face as I continued to stare at my sister's lying body. Large lumps were forming in my throat, and I was unsure whether I'd be able to breathe - or suffocate from lack of air…but I persisted.

"Th-Thank you…Stefan" I whispered gratefully; though, I wasn't entirely sure how grateful I really was - or was trying to be.

Stefan nodded in response, accepting my gratitude.

"Can't believe it's over" Bonnie whispered - who minutes before had arrived and did nothing but stare at my sister's body.

"Well start believing…bitch had it coming to her anyway" Damon replied almost instantly.

"That's my sister you're talking about" I murmured angrily; more tears were now falling down my face.

"Oh don't you start all that" Damon looked at me, disgusted. "You were the one who wanted her dead…it's too late to get her back and play happy families"

"I don't care, Damon" I moaned in response. "It doesn't matter what she's done…she was still my sister at the end of the day"

"What do you want do to with her?" Damon asked, ignoring what I had just said.

"What do you mean 'what do you want do to with her'?" I asked, frustration and anger were bubbling through me.

"We can't leave her here" Stefan answered.

"No, I know that" I responded. Then, I contemplated for a moment. I knew for a fact that even though Katherine was dead, she wouldn't have wanted me to handle her body - not even Stefan or Damon for that matter. And she wouldn't have wanted Bonnie the witch touching her either...so that left me with only one solution.

"Cremate her" I said, looking instantly at Bonnie. She was slightly taken back by my choice but nodded in acceptance.

"Are you sure? Because we could just bury her in the back yard, if you want" Damon said, shrugging his shoulders.

"No" I said, looking at him firmly. "I want her cremated...right here. She wouldn't want any of us touching her - besides, I'm not having Katherine's spirit haunting me because we've touched her like this"

"Okay then...erm, stand back" Bonnie notified us. The three of us - Stefan, Damon and I stood back and waited for the flames to appear. After 2, maybe 3 seconds, Katherine's body - along with her head - went up in bright orangey, yellow flames. I watched as the tips of the flames danced in sync, they were mesmerising to watch; it was as if they were trying to distract me from the fact that my sister's body was turning into ash deeper and deeper within the flames.

Then, the fire was gone and all that was left was a pile of ashes, both indicating where my sister's body - and her head - was. And, for some unknown reason; a small breeze took over the clearing and blew the ashes away leaving no evidence behind it that she ever was there. It was all over. Katherine Pierce no longer existed.

"Thank you Bonnie" I spoke gratefully. Bonnie nodded, accepting my gratitude.

**Elena's POV**

_Flashback_

_After I'd escaped Jeremy's clutches, I ran out of the house as fast as I could. I had to know Stefan was going to be okay - so I went to the Boarding House just to be on the safe side. Yes, both him and Damon would nag at me for leaving when Katherine was on the loose - but still, I had to know for sure. When I arrived, the front door had already been left opened - whatever that was inside, was made to be discovered sooner or later. As I entered, I couldn't believe the site that lay before my eyes. The living room was completely…destroyed. Paintings were ruined, sofas were overturned, books were scattered - pages ripped - all over the carpeted floor. Then I saw him. Stefan was tied up; but his face was burnt, covered with blood and he didn't seem to be at all moving. Was…he…? No! He couldn't be! I'd rushed over to him almost instantly and gently touched his face - my fingers felt hot with every touch. A large scent filled my nostrils that almost made my eyes water - vervain. Tears flowed down my face. I knew this was Katherine's doing - but why? I thought she'd loved him at some point in time…why? What could she have accomplished with hurting Stefan, if in some ways, she could be hurting herself?_

_I untied Stefan's wrists - which now had bloody red marks - and shook his shoulder._

"_Stefan?" I cried. Oh God, I thought. please…please let him be alive. Don't let it be too late. Don't let him leave me!_

"_Stefan" I cried again. "Please, wake up….I'm here now…" After a few, but long seconds, Stefan's eyelids slowly began to flutter open. I sighed with relief._

"_Elena?" He spoke hoarsely._

"_Yes, Stefan…I'm here" I replied._

"_Katherine…" He whispered; his voice becoming weaker._

"_What did she do to you, Stefan?" I asked; anger bubbled through me as more tears began to fall._

"_I'm so sorry….She….tricked me…Elena" Stefan continued to whisper. I shushed him gently while stroking his hair with my hands._

"_It's okay, Stefan; you did the right thing…now let me get you out of here" I untied the final ropes which were knotted tightly around his ankles. I blinked continuously as the smell of vervain had once again filled my senses. Stefan groaned at the release of the final rope._

"_Shh…it's okay Stefan; you're safe now" I said trying to soothe him._

"_Elena…blood" He told me hoarsely; his voice seemed stronger this time. My eyes widened. How could I have forgotten? Stefan had been burned and tied up with vervain which had caused him…excruciating pain. How could I have forgotten the one most important thing that he needed at a time like this?_

"_Oh my god" I whispered. "Stefan, I'm sorry…here" I said, handing him my wrist so quick I almost hit him in the face._

"_No!" He responded._

"_Just take it, Stefan! You need it to get your strength back…please, for me" I pleaded. After a few more seconds of hesitation, Stefan had finally given in and sank his sharp teeth into my wrist. It didn't hurt, like I'd expected. No, it was almost…gentle. I could feel the blood leave my body and enter Stefan's mouth. The more he drank, the more I could see his burns from the vervain heal. He was getting stronger. But then, he threw my wrist away; almost as if my blood had suddenly repulsed him - but I knew why he had done it._

"_No more, Elena" He told me._

"_Okay" I told him. "Do you need me to help you up?" I asked, readying my hands at his sides._

"_No, I'm fine" He said, and in an instant he was back on his own two feet - looking strong, and more importantly, himself._

"_Stefan, what happened here? What did Katherine do to you?" I asked, now standing next to him._

"_I was trying to figure her out…I-I had to lead her to the others in the woods"_

"_Why hadn't Elizabeth done it?" I asked, angry._

"_Katherine already suspected her; so I figured…"_

"_You used yourself as bait? Stefan…" I interrupted._

"_What's done is done, Elena. But…even though I 'agreed' to help her find the others; she wanted more…so she tortured me"_

"_Stefan, do you realise the danger you put yourself through? She could have killed you!"_

"_I know" Stefan muttered guiltily. I sighed deeply._

"_Look, just as long as you're okay…"_

"_But the others won't be…I led Katherine to them"_

"_Wasn't that part of the plan?" I asked_

"_Yes, but I need to be there…" Stefan said, walking away._

"_Oh no you don't; I already thought I lost you once, don't make it happen again" I warned, stepping in front of him._

"_I'm sorry, Elena; but I have to help…" _

"_Enough with the heroics, Stefan! Just think about us for once…"_

"_I am, Elena; I always do…which is why I have to go" Stefan said, pushing past me._

"_Stefan Salvatore, if you walk out that door I will never speak to you again!" I warned him…but it was too late, he'd already left._

_End of Flashback._

…

"Oh my God, Stefan! Thank goodness you're okay!" I sighed with gratitude as I pulled him into a strong embrace when he walked through my front door. But then, I unwillingly pulled away from him to ask him the million dollar question.

"Katherine?" I asked. Stefan shook his head.

"It's all over" He spoke with relief. I sighed again and pulled him back into an embrace.

"What happened?" I asked as I snuggled my head against his cool, marble chest.

"We don't need to go into details...just know it's over. Katherine won't be coming back ever again"

"You promise?"

"I promise" A sudden tear fell from my eye as I listened to his voice.

"What's wrong, Elena?" He asked me soothingly.

"Nothing" I said. "It's just...when I found you at the house and I saw you tied up...I thought you were..."

"Shhh...it's okay. I'm here, you know that"

"Yeah I do" I smiled. "So...how's Elizabeth coping with Katherine being gone?"

"If I was her...I'd probably consider it as a blessing"

"And do you...?"

"Yes...most definitely"

**Elizabeth's POV**

I was finally packed and ready to leave Mystic Falls. My new found freedom was ready to be taken advantage of - I could go anywhere and do anything. It would take a lot of getting used to, though; Katherine was no longer behind me at every turn. Katherine. Although dead, she was still my sister; someone who I used to looked up to growing up as a child - can't say I still feel that way now, I suppose. I've tried to remember the good times we shared; we would always play in the courtyard until Mother would tell us to come inside. Mother. How I missed her. She had this wonderful laugh that could light up the room and really soft hands that would stroke my face gently until I fell asleep...

I shook that thought out of my head almost instantly. I was free now; I couldn't waste any time thinking about the past. But there was one final thing I had to do before I could leave for good - I had to say goodbye to Damon. Though I loved him with all my heart, I had to say goodbye. I was free and I had all of eternity to relish in it. But not only that - I'd also promised him. I would leave after Katherine was dealt with - now she has been.

And now it was time to say goodbye.

After sighing deeply, I knocked on the door of the Salvatore Boarding house . I looked around; this would be the last time I would ever see this house. So I tried to soak up as much of the view as possible with my eyes before the door finally opened. As usual, I felt like a prisoner under his spell. His hair was as sleek as ever, his lapis lazuli eyes smouldered through me until I could feel them rubbing against the surface of my soul; his strong body seeping through his black t-shirt. There was only one word for him - perfect. He was so...beautifully perfect, it seemed like the workings of the devil; taunting me, making me realise how hard it's actually going to be saying goodbye to him. But, I gulped and stood my ground.

"And you're here because?" He asked, leaning his right arm against the door.

"Can I come in?" I asked politely, trying not to lose my cool in front of him.

"And why should I let you?" He asked with a small smile creeping up his lips.

"Come on, Damon, aren't we passed all that?" I asked. Damon shrugged and stepped aside to let me enter. Once inside, I continued to soak in the view; it wouldn't be long now before I would say goodbye and leave. But I was worried. What if I couldn't say goodbye to him? What if I freeze up and can't say anything? Would it have to be like last time when I said no goodbye at all?

As I entered the living room, I noticed that the room was in a bigger mess than when I had last left the house.

"What happened here?" I asked, looking around at the damage.

"Your sister" Damon said frustrated. Anger rushed through me like a disease; it was understandable, why he was like that but now that Katherine was dead...it just didn't seem right to hear him continuing to talk about her that way - maybe it was some unknown grief seeping through in my mind.

"She was here?" I asked as Damon picked up an overturned sofa.

"She was here with Stefan; it's obvious what happened" Damon said looking around. He was right; it was obvious what happened. There were small blood stains on the Persian carpet and next to them - little sprigs of vervain. I guess I was right about Stefan being tortured.

"So...I'm guessing you're not here to volunteer cleaning up" Damon began.

"No...I'm not" I said.

"Well goodbye then" Damon responded. This was it. This was the time I had to tell him.

"That's just it; I - I...came to say...goodbye" I spoke nervously with my head down. I waited silently for Damon's reply, but there was just silence. I lifted my head to see that he was still continuing with the cleaning; moving swiftly, silently from one end of the room to the other.

"Damon...say something" I pleaded, not knowing whether he'd actually heard what I'd said. But then he'd stopped mid-pace and turned to look at me.

"I wouldn't know what to say...I've never _heard_ a goodbye from you - I've only _seen_ one...on a small piece of paper"

"Damon. please..." I begged. "Don't make this any harder on me than it already is"

"What do you want me to say? Don't go...I'll miss you?"

"Well..." I began.

"Because I won't" Damon continued.

"I know you won't" I said quietly, trying to fight back tears.

"Then why are you here?" He asked firmly.

"Because. even though you hate me, I'm showing you that the years we spent as childhood friends actually meant something to me" I said, still continuing to fight back the tears. "If they didn't, I wouldn't have bothered showing up"

"Well, I'm sorry to say that unfortunately, you've had a wasted journey" Damon said, now turning away from me.

"I know you still care...that our friendship meant something"

"I stopped caring since the second your sister destroyed me and my brother - I stopped caring the moment you watched Stefan and me die in cold blood" Damon retorted angrily. Although it seemed obvious that Damon did not care due to the answers he was giving me, I was persisting in the fact that I knew I would somehow hear the real truth from him. Or are his answers...already the truth? Does he really feel that way?

"Damon, I know you...and I know you-" I began

"Don't say 'care'" Damon interrupted. There was now a hint of sadness showing through his voice.

"But-" I persisted.

"I don't care, Elizabeth! You wanna know why? Because it sucks!"

"I-" I said trying to respond, but Damon persisted in continuing.

"If I care, then it hurts - and I don't wanna hurt" Damon said, almost sounding as if he was fighting back tears himself.

"So...you do care?" I asked, trying to acknowledge and embrace this new side to him.

"If that's what you so desperately want then, yes...I cared!" Damon said, defeated.

"That's all I needed to know" I said, turning away. Now I was satisfied. Now I could leave knowing he had once cared and that was good enough for me. I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders; now I was well and truly free.

"Wait" Damon said, stopping my in my tracks. I turned to face him again.

"Yes, Damon?" I asked.

"You asked me, why I loved your sister..." An ache formed in my throat at the mention of Katherine and one of our previous arguments, but all the same, I was intrigued to hear what Damon had to say.

"Yes...I know I did" I replied.

"But I never gave you an answer..." Before I could blink, Damon was standing in front of me - staring into my anticipating brown eyes. I could barely breathe when Damon gently touched the sides of my face.

"She looked like you..." Damon continued.

"Uh-Huh?" I replied. I forgot that I was so deeply lost in his eyes, that he could have said anything and I would have not heard him.

"I loved her...because she looked like you" Now that. I heard.

"W-What?" I asked; my eyes widened slightly.

"You were my best friend...I cared about you so much, even after you left. I couldn't help but think that I'd lost you...when Katherine came and I saw how much she looked like you...I thought that there was a part of you that I could still have with me" Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably; this was sure to be a dream. Any minute I was bound to wake up and Damon would go back to hating me. But this was odd...I wasn't waking up. More odd in fact, was that Damon was shedding an actual tear in front of me. Was that even possible? Then, he pressed his forehead to mine and whispered the words...

"Please stay..." I looked at him through my wet eyes - through them, he looked like a blurry vision which I had conjured up and now it was soon ending.

"I-I can't" I said, choking on my words. "I'm free...K-Katherine's gone"

"Please" Damon continued. "I can't bear another... goodbye"

"I-I'm sorry, Da-" But before I could finish, I felt a pair of smooth, wet lips press hard against mine. At first it seemed like a sweet peck on the lips, but it soon developed to be as passionate a kiss than Romeo and Juliet themselves. Everything we both felt was melted into the kiss; all the pain, hurt, anger...relief, happiness, love - both of us could feel it. We couldn't pretend anymore that being apart was killing us...even all the arguing was starting to have a expiration date. Life without each other was excruciating and the both of us had only now just realised it. All of our hate and anger to each other had made us blind to what we really needed...and now we had it.

I couldn't leave Damon - not again. Yes, I was free from Katherine, but I had all of eternity to do what I wanted...and I wanted to be with Damon.

He's been through enough pain to last him all of eternity; leaving again, would only cause him more pain. I owed it to him, to stay. It was the least I could do.

And how could I leave anyway, when I'd finally come home...?

**The End!**

**A/N:**** That's the end, folks! Thank you so much for all the love and support you've given me for this story, I love you all! Until I write again...bye bye.**

**:) 3**


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